Rosario Vampire: Heat of Winter
by Des Morse Morde
Summary: When Moka and Tsukune are left alone at the academy, their relationship reaches new heights, but new troubles accompany them. How will these two make it through when pitted against an enemy that cannot merely be kicked into submission?
1. Warm November Chill

Hello! If you have found this page then you may or may not be in for a treat. I suppose you'll know upon reaching the end of this chapter. So far, I only have one other item posted on fan , entitled _Rosario+Vampire: Loving Memory._ That, however, was merely an exercise in sadness, a single chapter aiming to tear up the reader a little. Thus far, it only has two reviews. So, I have now deicide to begin writing my own fan fiction series. I would like to apologize in advance for the fact that my updates may come slowly, as this is merely a side project to distract me from the stress of working on my novel. (Yeah, that makes _Perfect_ sense, distract yourself from writing, by doing more writing. What can I say, It's my passion.) On top of all this, I'm juggling a very rigorous high school AP schedule. Well enough of my sob story, on to the main feature.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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Things were peaceful. An almost foreign concept. It had been a long time sense his hopes dared to spring forth, but Tsukune finally felt that his life could move in a more progressive direction. This was the first time since his entrance into the academy that Tsukune felt things were looking up.

He had acquired more spare time lately. It was undeniable fun to spend it as he wished. Occasionally he would use it to study. A large sum of it went into research for the school paper. A great deal also went to being with his friends. Momentarily however, his time was going to far better use, ogling a certain cute vampire sitting just a short distance away.

The final class of the day had ended; everyone had left in haste, preparing to enjoy their weekend. Even Nekonome-sensei had already left. Only Tsukune and Moka remained. Moka was just finishing the notes that had been written on the board. It was rare, but on occasion she would not be quite able to keep up with the teacher. Though the additional time and effort always insured that her notebook was very neat and uniform. Perhaps she could write a little quicker if she had not taken the time to draw a number of sweet looking bats throughout the page. Of course, Tsukune had never seen this as a bad thing, in fact, this was one of the his favorite of Moka's cute ticks.

After writing a final line, and drawing a word bubble which read "Capu-Chu." she finally flipped the notebook shut and turned to give Tsukune a friendly smile. IN reflex, Tsukune immediately returned the gesture. How could he not? Everything about Moka lit a warm fire inside him, and he could not see her smile without doing so himself.

"Tsukune," Moka started sweetly, "let's hang out a little while. You know just the two of us." She had looked a little to the left, blushing slightly as she spoke. Tsukune felt a comforting warmth, there was something sweet and enticing about how easily embarrassed Moka was around him.

"It sounds like fun Moka-san," he replied, smiling at her. "I thought it my be a nice, opportunity for us to talk without any interruptions." Moka said, the pink now fading a little from her face. "You know, seeing as the others all have detention today."

Tsukune had almost forgotten about the detention. Yokai Academy had a very high tolerance for violence, but actions had to be taken when three girls started beating on a boy in the middle of class. Even if the boy was a perverted wolf who had overstepped his boundaries.

Pushing the others out of his mind, Tsukune decided to turn his focus to Moka, not an especially hard choice to make. "Let's go for a little walk Moka-san" Tsukune said, his smile from earlier having never left his face. "We haven't been able to do that in a while."

Moka was delighted to see Tsukune was able to join her. The opportunity to be alone with him almost never arose, and she had no intentions of letting her chance to be with him slip by. "A walk sounds lovely Tsukune, it's been a long time since we've been out to the forest, why don't we go there and have a little picnic?" In truth, a walk wasn't on the top of her list of things to do. Ordinarily, it really would have been a lovely was to spend the afternoon, but unlike last year, which had been their first year at the academy, the November chill surrounding the campus was a little uncomfortable. At first, the stiff, cool breeze had sounded unappealing, but a bright side did occur to Moka, The leaves in the forest would all be taking on newer, more marvelous hues, and the faint rustling of the leaves in the breeze was a tasteful mood setter. Still, the best thing about the nippy weather was that it would give her the chance to cuddle up with Tsukune. The beauty of autumn was nice, but being right there beside Tsukune, all warm and cozy, nothing could set the mood better than that.

Tsukune did not require persuading; just like Moka he wished to make the most out of this rare opportunity for some privacy. The two set of with a little haste; both wanting to make their preparations quickly so that they could savor their time together for as long as possible. They had both agreed that they need not treat the situation formally. Fancy attire, a well planned day out, delicacy foods, these things contributed nothing to their plans. To them, a simple, spontaneous autumn picnic with simple foods was worth all the ambiance in the world.

The two walked through the halls of the academy side by side, trying to locate a snack cart which could provide them with the necessary tidbits of food for their afternoon. At first, there was a modest distance between them, but as they searched for the amusingly illusive snack cart, the pair did begin to inch a little closer. It took several minutes of slow drifting, but before long Moka and Tsukune were walking shoulder to shoulder.

Being so close to Tsukune always made Moka feel warm, not by in the since of emotion, but also physical in a physical way. The autumn chill may have hit Yokai harshly this year, but Moka was presently unable to notice the cold as long as she was near Tsukune. When she was with him, her heart worked double-time, and her blood seemed to grow hotter. Perhaps this was the explanation behind the warm sensation she got whenever she was around him.

As she walked along side him, Moka became increasingly aware of his scent. The last time she had ingested anything was during breakfast that morning, and, coupled with her heightened emotions, her hunger had made the scent of Tsukune's blood all the harder to ignore. The scent was ecstasy. Blood, natural pheromones from his body, and the slightest hint of what she could only guess was lavender soap tickled the inside of her nose. She wanted nothing more than a sip from his veins, but decided to delay her gratification just a little while longer.

After a good ten minutes of walking around, Tsukune finally spotted a food cart down a lengthy hallway to the right. Unfortunately, a man wearing some sort of uniform, bearing the same logo as the cart itself, had already begun to wheel the cart away. "Hey, wait up!" Tsukune called after him. Obviously he had gone unheard as the man made no effort to turn around or stop. Without giving it a whole lot of thought, Tsukune took quick hold of Moka's hand, taking her with him as he chased after the hard-of-hearing man.

Tsukune hadn't given the gesture any though, he had taken hold of Moka's hand instinctively, but Moka herself was a little surprised at first, but was not put off by any means. She merely ran right along side Tsukune, the blood flow to her checks elevating slightly. A part of her liked that Tsukune had taken charge.

Tsukune continued to call out to the man as they hurried towards him. He responded to the cries by turning around once the two had made it about three quarters of the way to him. Relieved to have gotten the workers attention, Tsukune and Moka slowed their pace and stopped before him asking to see what items he had left.

The pickings seemed a little slim. Normal the food carts carried everything from sweats and soda pop to warm sandwiches and hot drinks, but it seemed that business had done well that day and options were a little thin because of it. In the end, the two had decided to purchase a few small bags of sun chips, two cold cut sandwiches, a few cherry flavored bottles of water, three cans of tomato juice, two of which were for Moka, and one ice cream cone each. It was not until he reached for his wallet that Tsukune realized his fingers were laced together with Moka's. That had explained the faint smile on the vendor's face. Reluctantly, he released her hand, withdrawing enough money to pay the small fee.

Their snacks purchased, the two set off toward the dorm rooms. The building for both the boys and the girls dorm were side by side, though not conjoined, so the two had not separated just yet. They passed the time talking about how fun their day would be, the lovely weather, jokingly, and the logic behind eating ice cream when it was already so chilly out.

Where the journey of trying to find a food vendor had taken quite a while, the trip to the dormitory ended all to soon. Both Moka and Tsukune were enjoying themselves, and neither wanted to separate, even if only for ten or so minutes. "See you in back here in a few minutes Moka-san" Tsukune said sounding cheerful as well as a little playful. Before leaving he dabbed the tip of his ice cream on the tip of Moka's nose, the pink dab mark becoming the cheery on top of an already sweet treat. In turn, Moka grazed the tip of her own frozen treat along Tsukune, the difference being that she had smeared hers lightly around his neck.

Moka wasted no time in throwing her arms around Tsukune and biting gently into his neck. The cherry ice cream she'd left there was tasty, but for a few seconds she enjoyed a far more desirable treat. The action had not caught Tsukune off guard. In fact, he was a little surprised that it had taken her so long to do this. The little bonus snack now over, both set off to their own dorm rooms.

It had not taken long for the two to return. All either had done was drop off theirs school things, before proceeding back outside. Actually, Moka had done one thing Tsukune had not. She had picked up a pair of spare blankets for them to lay on during their little picnic. The clothes were faded a little, but were still anything but tattered. Tsukune was a little surprised that she had elected to throw such a thing onto the dirty ground.

Tsukune and Moka walked out into the woods. As they had done before each of them drifted closer to the other; before long they appeared to be one at the shoulder once more. Neither of them said a great deal as they walked through the trees, but the silence did not come off as awkward. Somehow it had seemed right them to enjoy each others company without words. Somehow it felt like words would merely get in the way.

After venturing a respectable distance into the forest, they finally decide upon a spot. The sun was just beginning to set and the rays of golden light looked beautiful as they gleamed radiantly in between the trees. Moka and Tsukune set the blanket along the trunk of a very wide, very tall tree. Neither could have asked for a better spot.

The two of them sat side by side, no more than an inch or two apart. "Here you are Moka-san" Tsukune said to her, extending a can of tomato juice. Aside from Tsukune's blood, this was Moka's favorite thing to drink. With a sort of silly worried tone she asked, "Umm, Tsukune? Where's the can opener?"

"Can opener?" he replied sounding confused. Surely he hadn't forgotten it.

"Sorry Moka-san," he began, "I must have forgotten it back home." Moka merely smiled at him. A can opener would have been nice, but she could easily make due without one. Moka opened her mouth a little bearing her fangs and used one of them to pierce the top of the can. "There you go Tsukune" she said, generously handing him the first sip.

Tsukune had thought that they were each going to enjoy separate drinks, but of course he did not protest to sharing. He enjoyed the silly feeling of intimacy he got from sharing the drink with her.

The two continued to drink and snack, recounting the story of how Kurumu, Mizore, and Yukari had ganged up on Ginei. "Remember when Mizore grabbed him by the tail?" laughed Tsukune. "Or when Yukari made that rolled up newspaper chase after him." said Moka giggling. "But the best part…" Tsukune had stopped in mid sentence. He found his eyes meeting with Moka's and hade become lost in their beautiful shade of green.

Moka began to blush. She adored the stare Tsukune was giving her, it made her feel a happiness that transcended any feeling she had ever felt before. They shared an intimate little staring match, neither one daring to blink and miss a second of the other. A cold gust of wind came by, causing them each to shiver and break eye contact.

Still shaking a little, though this may have merely been an act, Moka snuggled right up along Tsukune, laying her head in his chest. "It's cold out." she whispered, giving the top blanket below her a tug, pulling it out form under them. Without a word she drew the second blanket across them to fend off the cold, never once moving her head. "How perfect." she thought to herself, deciding that now would be the perfect time for a nap.

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Well, what did you think? Please review with your opinion on the positives and negatives of the story as well as my writing ability. Remember, the more comments I get, the more encouraged I may be to update quickly.


	2. Tragedy in the Trees

Hello everyone, hope no one had to wait all to long for chapter 2. Since my last post I replied to a few review, and even ended up chatting with a flamer who turned out to be pretty cool. Still, I'd like to ask everyone to try and keep things cool. Criticism or corrections are encouraged, a need a harsh slap when I make an error, but, how should I put this, I'm insane and will not usually handle flaming as nicely as I did this time. (This time I apologized in case I was offensive) On a bad day, and I have a lot of those, you might get a reply something along the lines of, "**** you, you stupid son of a *****. If you don't like the mother******* story, don't read it ***hole. **** off." Just a fair warning. My cute little romance story in no way reflects the person I actually am.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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The chill never let up. Never yielded. Never held back. Never chilled a soul.

The weather may have remained unseasonably frigid, but neither of them noticed. A warm blanket, a full belly, a cute cuddling partner, these things kept the two warm. To Moka, Tsukune's heartbeat was a soothing, gentle lullaby. Wind, rain, snow, it was doubtful that they would separate due to anything less than death.

Tsukune awoke first, finding his arms holding her close to him. It was utterly bewildering. To so much as hold hands with her required more nerve than he could summon, but somehow he had managed to fall asleep holding her to his chest. He made no effort to understand, why bother trying to explain something devoid of any logic? The moment was perfect, anyone would have known better than to end it. Tsukune briefly noticed that the suns glow had vanished over the horizon; the sky had become an abyss, its many stars gleaming. The stars were lovely, the clear night only lifted his spirits higher. Tsukune went back to sleep, knowing that he had the one thing more beautiful than the midnight sky right there on Earth.

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The chill never let up. Never yielded. Never held back. Never spared a soul.

Tsukune awoke, the cold making sleep impossible. The area around him was familiar, though in a very fickle way. He was still in the place where he had fallen asleep, of this he was certain. The scenery was unaltered, it was the feel of the place that was most unsettling.

He lifted himself up, returning to sleep was not an option. Tsukune peered around. Something was different. The forest had a different hue from before. Whatever was causing the change in color, it was resonating. The light moved as if it was liquid, flowing down in waves. Tsukune looked up the trunks of the trees, noting with cautious interest that the light seemed brighter the higher he gazed. The source of the eerie crimson glow revealed itself. The moon. It had changed. It was red. Blood red. It's vibrant shade of crimson was leaking down upon the forest, upon the world.

He never questioned why. It didn't matter now, not in the face of a far worse realization. The moon could have stared back at him and it wouldn't have mattered, at least, not as much as this new matter. "Moka-san?" he called. Wherever she was, she wasn't here. Confusion set in. Tsukune knew she would not have left him here, which meant that there was really only one possibility. Unfortunately, it was the usual one.

Tsukune ran through the trees frantically. "Moka-san" he cried out, worrying for her safety. He couldn't explain why but he felt something was seriously out of sorts. The scenario had occurred before, but it had never felt so devastating before. Perhaps his emotions were heightened by how close he had felt to Moka-san, perhaps he was finally appreciating the full extent of the affection that he had always felt, whatever the reason he lost control.

His yokai swelled, consuming him. The holy lock twisted violently, the chains seeming to cringe, the lock seeming to shriek out in agony. He was not a ghoul, but he was close. He burst wildly throughout the woods, only the faintest remains of his human sense remained with him, and they were not in control. Trees in his way did not remain there for long, he was being driven mad. Something was wrong, he felt that he was moving toward Moka, but he _knew_ that he was moving towards blood.

Human sense, amazingly fragile. Dashed so easily. How soon the thirst for blood set in.

It was difficult, trying to maintain, trying to reason. It hurt. It seared. It ached, his chest, hurt, seared, ached. The scent grew stronger, the trail finally became more definite. He ran, faster than he had ever done before, his location, nowhere; thoughts, nothing; motive, unclear. He could make no sense of his senses. He could feel not one of his feelings. He saw not one sight, heard not one sound, he smelled just that one scent.

It had been minutes, hours, days. He ran. It had been months, years, decades. He ran faster. Time flowed inconsistently, he knew nothing of when and where. His mind had ceased, but, by the grace of god, his heart had not. His destination had become clear, as had his motive. The destination was Moka, he was sure the scent was belonged to her, and the motive, was compassion, perhaps even love. He didn't care, he only prayed the motive was not blood. Whether in revenge or in thirst, he prayed he was not motivated by blood.

The woods were a maze, Tsukune had never known they extended so far. He had never wanted to know. Even now, despite every shred of his humanity slowly dying, he wished that he had not needed to come so far. He never slowed down, he could sense her nearness now.

Finally, a clearing came into view. He found himself standing at the center of a perfect dirt circle. There was no grass, not trees, no life. No life except his, his and Moka's. He rushed to her, the shock of the image bringing him back from the edge. She was coated in blood. Cut marks shown all over her body. Her breathing was heaved with force, she had just enough energy to tilt her head to him. "Tsukune…" she whispered, the rest of her words stifled as she coughed. She was drowning in her own blood. She screamed, but the words never came. She wept, just wanting her last words to be heard. Her mind and heart both cried it intensely, only her mouth could not say, "I love you."

He was on his knees. Crying uncontrollably. His last day with her had been like a vacation in heaven, but now he sobbed in hell. All he did was sob.

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Bear with me on this one. I really hate to leave you out in the air after such a serious plot point. I needed a hook, and this seemed was what I became inspired to do. I know this sort of thing shouldn't happen so suddenly, or so early, but it did. In a way, it was out of my hands. There is much more to come, but that will have to come later. Sorry this chapter is so short by the way, I had less time than I wanted to work on it. Please review.


	3. Tsukune's Flowing Stream

_Welcome back! If your new hello, you've found my latest fan fiction story __**Rosario+Vampire: Heat of Winter!**_ From here on out, you may only use two functions of your computer. The first is your scrolling feature, which will allow you to view the rest of this chapter, and the second is the big shiny review button at the bottom. All joking set aside, I really hope you will stick around and read/review this story. No flames please, but constructive criticism is perfectly fine. Alright, without further adu (is that spelled right? I think I have a few readers in France, maybe one of them knows?) I give you Rosario+Vampire: Heat of Winter Chapter 3.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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"Tsukune - Tsukune," the voice echoed in his head, growing fainter in perfect sync with the girls heartbeat. For the first time ever, time waited, waited for just this one man, and let the moment of Moka's last words live on just a minute longer. It could not be true, she could not be dying.

He moved closer, bringing himself to her, rather than trying to move her. He propped her head on his arm, and then moved in to her, so that he could embrace her in an awkwardly positioned hug. She was so cold. His words flowed, like they never did before. It was the last chance, it was _his_ last chance. "I love you Moka-san." His whole body wretched, his agony reaching the point of physical pain.

"I've always loved you, from the first moment. I hadn't lived until the day you hit me with your bike, my life was empty till then and I didn't even know it. Please. Please don't die."

Though he had pleaded with fate not to take her, Tsukune knew that this would be the last thing he said to her. It was his final confession.

"You don't have to love me back." he said, "I would never ask you to do anything against your will, but please, please don't die." He leaned in, she could feel her slipping away from him. "Please don't die." he said one last time. He moved in, placing what he feared would be their first, and last, kiss.

He had waited to long. He could feel nothing as he kissed her. He'd given her his soul with that breath, she had not breathed back. Even before the kiss she had slipped away.

She was dead.

Moka Akashiya was dead.

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Tsukune lived on in body only, his heart and mind just shut down. The last act of consciousness he had mustered had been to pick her up from the ground, brush the dirt from her skirt and blouse, and carry her back to the academy. Though his body lingered, he had not. When Moka passed away, he had as well. His soul was no longer guiding his life, it was merely waiting to be freed from the living world.

He spoke to no one. Interacted with no one. He merely did what his mind had been previously programmed to do. He woke, dressed, ate, went to classes, went to the newspaper club, ate, and slept. The others, Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, Kokoa, even Ginei were in mourning as well, but it would have been the ultimate insult to compare their pain to his own. Compared to Tsukune's feelings for Moka, theirs had been dirt. Even Kokoa could not possibly be as hurt as him.

Aside from fulfilling the basic requirements of his schedule, Tsukune did nothing. All he would do was sit there, blankly. Sometimes he seemed so lifeless that people actually examined him to see if he was breathing. He sat in on classes, but never did any work. In the club after school he would sit alone and stare at the wall. Everyone had tried to get him to show some signs of emotion, but they had no success. He no longer showed interest. Tsukune never even humored their gestures.

The latest task of the newspaper club was the production of a special paper, the front page article devoted to their fallen friend. It read:

Yokai academy lost a very important friend earlier this week. Akashiya Moka was mysteriously killed in the campus woods last Friday while spending time with her close friend Aono Tsukune. Her death came as a shock to everyone here at the newspaper club; the place hasn't been the same without her. It is unclear why anyone would want to kill Ms. Akashiya, but the severity of her wounds confirm that she was most definitely the victim of murder. There have been no leads as to who was responsible for this tragedy. Aono Tsukune was the last person to see her alive, but it is unknown whether he witnessed the event as he has not spoken since then. Ms. Akashiya was a sweet young lady, and she died well before her time. Everyone here at the newspaper club, as well as quite a few other students will have to try their best to live without her, but she will always be sorely missed. There has been no word as to how here family responded to the news.

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The article had been shorter than any other in the paper, it's final count being only one hundred sixty-two words, barely long enough to pass as a caption to the glowing picture of her smiling face. Everyone was a little ashamed to have written so little, but it had been to painful to continue. Even that draft had taken dozens of attempts to finish. The majority of there efforts had become to marred with tears to remain legible.

Tsukune had to be carried to the front of the academy by Kurumu and Mizore when the time to distribute the paper to the rest of the academy. Occasionally a passer by would wonder if he was just exaggerating his condition, it seemed difficult to believe that he was only capable of the most basics parts of his daily routine. It had not been an act, Tsukune had actually shutdown, his ability to perform any action outside of his typical daily regiment. Kurumu had even had to escort him to class on a few occasions. This was because Tsukune had stopped, frozen outside of the girls dorm, after all, it had been part of his daily routine to wait for Moka each morning.

The papers slower than usual that day, largely due to Moka's absence. It was amazing now many boys had asked for a paper just to see her. Despite this, only a handful of papers remained. Eventually, these papers too were passed out, all except the one gripped tightly in Tsukune's hand.

Lifting that paper had been the first act Tsukune had done that was not part of his typical schedule.

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No one knew where Moka's body was being kept, but no funeral had yet taken place. Kurumu, Mizore, Yukari, and Ginei had been placed in charge of the planning for the ceremony. Tsukune, of course, had also been selected to aid in the preparations, but no one asked him to do a thing, they only wanted him to recover and return to them as a friend.

The funeral service was prepared quickly. It had been decided that it would be a private ceremony with only those who had been close to Moka. Sadly her parents had not been able to make the journey in time, but, with heavy hearts, they had consented to let the service continue without them.

Exactly two weeks after her death, Moka was finally brought out. The date of her funeral had arrived. Apparently, she had been being kept in a private crypt built below the chairman's office. The sky that day was especially dark, the day could not have been gloomier. Even the chairman did not wear a smile today. Everyone had dawned black attire, Tsukune even managing to dress himself.

Finally, the ceremony commenced. The chairman was the first to speak. "Today we are gathered to mourn the death of a very special young lady. Moka Akashiya, a vampire, a student, and a friend. Though her inner nature was a little cold and distant, everyone around her was fortunate enough to see a gentle and sweet side of her. If anyone would like to say something about her before she is returned to the earth, feel free to do so now."

With that, the chairman stepped down. It had seemed like a rather emotional speech from someone who they had never seen much emotion from. Everyone looked over to Tsukune, half expecting him to rise. He did not. After a few moments of silence, Yukari rose from her seat, preparing to be the first among them to speak.

She had not been given the opportunity. Though they never changed the expressions they wore, everyone felt a shocking sensation when they saw that Tsukune had pushed her back down toward her seat. He himself rose up and walked softly toward the front of the group.

It seemed like it took ages for Tsukune to finally reach the podium. Time seemed inconsistent once more, but eventually the gap between him and the stand was closed.

He turned, as if preparing to address the small crowd. His face still bore no expression, and his voice did not sound through the air, he simply stood there. A stream of soundless tears ran down his face.

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Well, that's the third chapter, I guess it isn't as long as I had hoped for, but a lot of effort went into this chapter so I hope you liked it. If so, I hope you'll review it. Thanks a million for reading! And please stick with me, the next chapter is _**extremely**_ important.


	4. Suicide and Rebirth

Hello fans of fan fiction. I hope you've all been well. I've been doing pretty fair myself, but I've only been getting about four hours of sleep a night. I recently updated chapter 3 to tell everyone that Chapter 4 would be very important, and, if you've stuck with me, then I suppose you'll find out why by the end of the chapter. I've been worried that I might have driven away some readers by killing Moka, but you have to remember that this is a romance fic. I can't let something as a main character being suddenly killed stop the development of the plot can I? Here you are, chapter 4.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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Tsukune's mind remained frail, but it had at least began to allow him the privilege of thought. It seemed that the truth had finally sunk in, and that he was forced to accept it. The realization that she was gone had not come easily, nor without painlessly, but it had come. Moka had returned to the earth. "She's in a better place." Tsukune told to himself, trying to retain the tears building yet again. "b-but, h-how can s-she be better of w-without m-me?" The force of his tears took hold, even in his head they had caused him to stammer.

Tsukune sat in Nekonome-sensei's class. His head sis not sink in shame, even when every other person in the room had begun to stare at him. He was no longer a creature who based his actions on pride; he was no longer ashamed to be seen in this state. Besides, even if someone in the room had been so bold as to make some snide remark to him, Yukari, Mizore, and Kurumu would never have allowed it to pass.

Eventually, class resumed, the students and the teacher merely trying to ignore the faint noises of sorrow echoing from the corner of the classroom. For a moment, Tsukune paused. He was not certain, at first, why he had paused. For a moment he thought he had exhausted the amount of tears his body could produce, but then he heard it again. For a second time he heard the voice that had snapped him from his mournful cries. It was the only voice that had ever ceased his sorrow, even for a moment. He bolted around in his chair, the sound had come from behind him. Tsukune stared, he had not allowed himself to believe it, but somehow his suspicion of the voice's owner had been correct.

She sat there, a sight to the entire world. Moka was seated behind him, in plain view to the world. If only for that moment the world had not meant Tsukune.

Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore saw it all. They alone witnessed the moment of insanity, everyone else was to busy with the lesson to be bothered. Though none of them could be certain of what Tsukune was doing, they all had a strong feeling it wasn't a good sign.

Tsukune began to stretch his arm outward. He could finally feel the softness of her skin once more, and, in that moment, he could be certain that Moka had returned to him. He continued to reach for her, never questioning how she could be sitting before him. As his hand drew close to her cheek, the feel of the moment shifted. A feeling of uncertainty crept over Tsukune. In the all consuming moment of foreboding, the world grew dim. His hand was less than an inch from her, when he new something was wrong. Tsukune peered at her closely, and, as he did, she collapsed into dust. All she was, all she would ever be was dust.

A scream of frustration rattled the windows of the room. Sadness and hurt had cemented into feelings of rage and conviction. The holy lock behaved as it had in the woods, flipping and twisting in the air, as is possessed by some unseen familiar. Tsukune cut a path straight through the wall immediately to his left. Bloodlust had once more taken hold of him, this time however, Moka was not around to stabilize his condition.

Tsukune made a mad dash for the woods. He could sense the others trying to follow him, but it made no difference, there speed was nothing to him. It took seconds to penetrate deep into the vast forest. Tsukune had allowed instinct to override reason, and instinct was guiding him right back to the spot where he had last seen her alive, truly alive. He ran not towards the scene of her death, but to the last place where he knew she had been truly happy. Tsukune closed in on the large tree where the two of them had spent the last happy moments of their live.

It took almost no time at all to find the spot. Tsukune could never forget the location of such an important place. He could still feel the Yokai of the others chasing after him, but they were miles in his tracks.

"Moka-san, I will see you again." Tsukune had said the words happily, for the first time in ages he felt pure bliss. A single, final, tear of happiness ran down his right cheek. He brought his hand to his throat, knowing that his time was wearing thin. He could sense that the others knew why he had come here, and he knew that if he did not hurry, they would try to put a stop to it.

He tightened his grip. His breathing halted. For a moment, his humanity dot in the way, urging him not to complete the task. It was not a hard thing to overcome, he merely channeled as much energy as he could into the holy lock, knowing that, even if it broke he would still take his life. The nature of a ghoul was funny that way. All they sought was blood, even if it was their own.

With thunderous cracking noises, the seal finally broke. The chains of the lock let out one final scream of despair before eroding to the fine smoothness of sand, the lock itself crashing to the ground at his feet.

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He had done it. Tsukune's ghoul power took hold, and crushed his throat without second thought. As death blurred his vision, Tsukune took in what would be his final glimpse of the mortal world. Standing near him, he saw a strange shadowy figure looming above. Mustering just enough clarity to see the being's face, Tsukune realized that the board chairman was now standing leaning over him, a strange gem in hand.

A strange feeling surged through Tsukune. He felt the strength return to his body, the hands of death lessening their grip. He wanted to fight back. He wanted his right to die, but it was useless, he found himself utterly immobilized. As he began to loose hope of ever seeing Moka again, his eyes began to cringe at a blinding light. Tsukune felt himself rush upward, lifted by some mysterious force. "Is this death?" he asked himself allowed. He had always though dying to be a harsher experience than this.

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"Will, he be awake soon?" asked a warm female voice, clearly she was full of worry. "It shouldn't take a great deal longer, why, he should return at any moment." replied the voice of the board chairmen.

Tsukune had already gained semi-consciousness. His senses of hearing and touch had returned to him. He had heard the worried tone of the young woman, and now he could feel that she was clinging tightly his chest, repeating his name over and ever.

"Tsukune, Tsukune, please wake up. Wake up Tsukune!"

Tsukune suddenly gained full control of his body. He had just figured out what was happening. He threw himself upright, he knew by the voice who was there.

He flung his arms around her, this time she did not fade away. He released her from his embrace, and he opened his eyes.

The most marvelous, happiest green eyes he had ever seen stared back at him.

He knew better now then to waste such precious moments. " I love you." he whispered to her. "Akashiya Moka-san, I love you."

Tsukune pulled her close, not worried about how she would react, and kissed her.

He breathed his soul into her with that kiss, but this time, she breathed back.

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Well, what do you think about that. It seemed like the majority of my readers actually believed Moka was dead, but there you have it, she is most definitely alive. **I assure you this is not another trick, she really is fine.** Still, there is the question of what exactly happened. Well, I hope you'll read my next chapter when it come out in order to find out.


	5. Kisses and Curses of a New Dawn

Greetings to all my readers, whether you've been following my story since it was published or your new to _Rosario+Vampire: Heat of Winter, _I hope you'll find this update enjoyable. Well, without any further delay, I present chapter 5 of _Rosario+Vampire: Heat of Winter_.

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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For the second time in his life, Tsukune felt the hands of time freeze, the kiss lasted for a blissful eternity. The softness off her lips, silky feel of her hair to his fingers, seductive allure of her lip play, warm hush of her breath during the seconds in which their lips pulled apart, everything was perfect. Her lips had a tender feel, sweet taste, a wonderful sound as they separated. The scent of her hair wafted lightly, carried more gracefully than even the most tasteful perfume. The moment was ecstasy, she was ecstasy.

All Moka had desired was his return. She wanted nothing in the world but to hear his voice again, but in the instant they engaged in their passion play, she realized she had wanted so much more. The second she had felt his lips press to hers, she understood why she had spent every free moment at his bedside. She let him embrace her, resigning herself willingly to her fate, if Tsukune had awoke for one reason, she felt that this was it. All doubt fled from her heart. The words she had secretly wished to hear had flowed from his mouth. With those lips, with that tongue, Tsukune had confessed his love to her, and with those same lips, and with that same tongue, he had pledged to her that his words were true. The moment was ecstasy, he was ecstasy.

After the longest, most delicious moment, their dance came to its end, and the two drifted slowly apart, but only far enough to gaze into each others eyes. "Tsukune." It was the only word she could remember, Tsukune's kiss had made sure to that. "Moka-san" he replied, feeling his heart swell in the heat of the moment. He was sure he would faint. It was unclear why, perhaps he was still feeling weak, perhaps Moka had been too much for his heart to maintain; for whatever reason, Tsukune collapsed falling forward as he slipped once more from consciousness.

Moka caught him before the shock of his fall had the chance to disturb his slumber. She clasped him to her breast, running her fingers through his slightly tangled tufts of hair. "Sweet dreams, Tsukune" she whispered in his ear before laying him on his back and ushering him to sleep with a soft kiss on the forehead. A quick stab of delight filled her heart as she caught his lips turn up slightly, confirming that her kiss had granted the desired effect.

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Tsukune enjoyed the sweetest sleep of his life. In his dreams, he saw himself with Moka, in his dreams they had kissed, danced, wed, even loved. For the first time ever, Tsukune felt that the ideal life with Moka was just over the horizon.

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After a short rest of no more than three hours, Tsukune awoke. He delighted in the first sight to grace his eyes. It was sweet, innocent in a way that could only be properly captured by Moka. She was now in her nightgown, resting in a nearby chair. Apparently she had grown sleepy, as Tsukune found that she had supplemented his abs as a pillow.

He rubbed her head combing her pink locks through his fingers, something that had not gone unnoticed. Moka stirred, though she had not slept, it had merely been her desire to be close to him. "Tsukune?" she inquired with a faux yawn. "Aren't you cold Moka-san?" he asked with genuine concern, realizing just how cold the infirmary was. "No, not really," she replied, "just a little lonely." With that, she lifted herself up alongside him, pulling him into a hug that would go unbroken. Tsukune found himself well rested, not needing further sleep, but still perfectly willing to share the night, as well as his sheets, with her.

"I love you Tsukune."

"I love you too Moka-san."

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Both awoke simultaneously, their vision crossing from the first moment in the waking world. Both had felt a chill enter the room.

A shadowy figure moved in from the hall. "Aono Tsukune" it chimed in a dull, rusty tone. Tsukune felt Moka grip him a little tighter, she had not recognized the voice, but he had, it was beaten into his head. "Good morning board chairman." Tsukune yawned lazily, not considering how the malevolent headmaster would react to his sharing a bed with Moka.

Thankfully, it had not come up.

The board chairman began to speak. "Aono-kun, do you recall the last few weeks of your life?" he asked sounding both interested as well as distant. Tsukune shuddered, he had not given it thought due to his recent state of perpetual love and happiness, but his memories had not faded.

"Yes" he replied. "And have you yet to wonder how Ms. Akashiya is presently able to cling to you?" Moka turned a bright red, she had hoped that he would ignore that she was still clasped to Tsukune.

Tsukune was surprised he had not thought of this sooner, "How is she alive?" he asked himself. The chairman began speaking again. "You see Mr. Aono, until now you have been under the delusion that your precious Akashiya-san was dead, when in reality, the one in true danger was you."

Moka gave Tsukune a questioning look, wondering what the chairman had been talking about. "Ah, I see you have yet to tell your partner, Mr. Aono." It was Tsukune's turn to glow red this time. Just what had he meant by "partner"? "Ah, to be young, in love and stupid." continued the chairman, withdrawing something form his pocket, presenting it to Tsukune.

"That, Mr. Aono, is an oracle ring. It serves sort of like a dream diary, and it contains your memories over the past few weeks. You see, Akashiya-san was never killed, she was never even in danger, but you were. The day back in November that you and Ms. Akashiya fell asleep in the woods, you were possessed by a 'Somnequam,' a creature of Latin myth known for placing other beings into comma like states where they are pitted against their most hellish nightmares."

"So, were the last couple of a weeks just a bad dream?" Tsukune asked, sounding concerned. "Not at all," came the chairman's reply, " your experiences were indeed genuine, but they have had no effect on your normal life. You see, for all the time you where in that dream like state, you were actually in a coma here in our world. What's more, had you succeeded in taking your own life in that dream, you would have faded from our world as well. However, as long as you wear that ring, it will be far more difficult for the dream demon to enter your mind, and, should it succeed, you will at least have a chance to fight it off. Perhaps now you would like to place that ring on Ms. Akashiya's finger, she appears a little concerned."

Without questioning his orders, Tsukune slide the ring onto Moka's left ring finger. In that instant, every vivid detail of Tsukune's pain flowed into her, it took only seconds to instill her with the suffering that had plagued the last three weeks of Tsukune's life. She cried, both saddened by the tragedy he had gone through, and overjoyed to see just how much she meant to him.

Moka sat up, and this time, she kissed him.

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Well that's all for this chapter folks, hope you enjoyed it. In case anyone is wondering where I got the name for the dream demon, it's a combination of the Latin words for dream (somnium) and vile (nequam). I really don't plan on using that name all too much, I just felt it needed a proper classification, so I went with some Latin roots. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and, Best Regards!


	6. Winter Break

Welcome back everyone, and, as always, a special hello to anyone knew. I'm happy to say that this page contains chapter six of my fanfic, _**Rosario+Vampire: Heat of Winter**_. I read an especially enjoyable review of my last chapter which said that my chapter was fantastic, though a little too short. I'm thankful somebody finally made that point, you see, I was feeling bad that my chapters were so short, but I had no encouragement to write a greater length, but thanks to that one particular fan I'm proud to present chapter six, lengthened as a special treat to the reader!

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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Tsukune's time in the infirmary passed rapidly, as was expected from a man with vampire's blood flowing through his veins. He was baffled as to how a something that he could only describe as a dream had weakened so greatly. Of course, the world had many things worse than being temporarily bedridden. Moka never left his side, even for classes. She merely had her and Tsukune's assignments delivered to them. Kurumu protested Moka staying with him as the days passed, but eventually gave up her argument when Tsukune had asked her to stop. Yukari spoke out not once against the two spending day and night together, and Mizore never spoke out much at all, though neither Tsukune nor Moka could be certain when she was watching. To his amazement, none of them ever asked why he laid in the hospital, mostly they just feuded over who was best suited to take care of him. He could only imagine how grim the situation would grow had any of the others known that Moka had been sharing not only his room, but his bed as well.

After the course of just a little more than three days, Tsukune was released from his stay in the infirmary. The chance to finally breath in some fresh air had come as a welcoming change, but Tsukune had to admit, he would miss Moka's constant company. She was what had made his recovery proceed so quickly, and she was also why he felt that his treatment had ended just a little to soon.

Over the course of the last few days, things had changed between Moka and Tsukune. The two had began to grow closer than either had ever dreamed possible. Moka had shared with Tsukune all the pain she had felt while sealed away in the human world; she had even allowed him to console her when the memories caused her eyes to tear up. Over the past three days, he had learned that her favorite color was red, that she enjoyed reading short love stories, she loved both pink roses and lilies, her greatest fear has always been that she would never have many friends, and that she was incurably ticklish, particularly in a spot just below the right portion of her ribcage. She had even shown her diary to him. His favorite page had also been her very first entry, and it had been written on the day they first met.

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Dear Diary,

I was very concerned about today, I spent my entire summer worrying that things would be the same as in the human world. I felt scared and alone, and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to relate to the other student. I know that, like me, they are all monsters, but a part of me thought that they would treat me the same way that the human children had. Even though I'm surrounded by other forms of monsters, I still worry that they'll find some way to perceive me as weird and dislikable, especially if they were to find out that I'm a vampire. I thought that my first day would leave me feeling sad, but I'm actually happier than I have ever been. I mad a friend today, and it was a boy too. He doesn't even fear me for being a vampire! Also, he's not like the other students, he's human! I always thought that that humans were mean and scary, but he's made me think that I may have been wrong. His name is Tsukune Aono. There's one more interesting thing about him as well. My Rosario seal, the magical limiter only my father can remove, he can take it off as well! I think that, back when I was first given the rosario, I once heard someone mention that the key to removing the seal was for it to be pulled off by one of the two most caring males in my life. The first was my father, but I overheard that the second person to be able to take it off would be my true soul mate. I think it might be true. Every time I'm with Tsukune I feel really happy and lively, and my heart starts to beat really, really hard! And his blood is so delicious! I couldn't resist his scent when we first met. He was bleeding a little because I had gotten dizzy and ran into him while on my bike. The aroma of those few drops that had appeared on his face was so delectable that I sort of lost control. Today was my first time sipping blood straight from someone's neck. I liked it a lot better than transfusion bags; it was so warm and fresh, and it pumped gently from his neck with each heartbeat. I've had a lot of tasty blood before, but nothing comes close to his, I think I might become addicted! I'm really glad to have met Tsukune, and I hope we can be friends for a very long time.

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That diary entry had made Tsukune sincerely fear that his heart would burst. He had never known that Moka had felt so strongly about him after only one day. "Moka-san" he had said, "this is how I felt about you too, even all the way back then." She merely him by kissing his neck. It had been the first time she had placed her lips there and actually left Tsukune feeling more energized. Tsukune was delighted that she had still said, "Capu-chu." even though she was just giving him a kiss.

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Thanks to Moka's assistance, Tsukune's stay in the school hospital had resulted in a surprising upturn in his grades. He couldn't understand how he had managed to improve, after all, he had focused far harder on his teacher than his lessons. Even after returning to class, he still found that he was a little ahead of the curve, as Nekonome-sensei's test quickly proved. "Great job Tsukune!" Moka exclaimed, smiling. "Ninety-seven percent, you even beat me!" For the first time, Tsukune found his own grades actually competing with Moka's, she was still on top, but the gap was now closing quickly.

"Yahoo, Tsukune!" Kurumu cried seeing his remarkable test results, "I knew you wouldn't fall behind!" "Ahh, Kurumu-chan, I only scored so well because Moka-san agreed to tutor me." Mizore slowly grew up from beneath Tsukune's desk, "There's no need to be modest, Tsukune." she said in her typically soft tone. His performance on the test came as a welcomed turn of events, but Tsukune knew modesty had nothing to do with it. It had only been with Moka's help that he had even passed, let alone achieved a score second only to Yukari's usual perfect score.

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Winter Vacation was fast approaching, and was still being ushered in by the cold indifference of the weather. Moka and Tsukune warmed each other whenever possible, but the opportunity to do so had become increasingly rare because the rest of the group had also wished to spend their last days with Tsukune, before the break would separate the group.

The cold weather had not done much to inhibit everyone's spirits. Kurumu shrugged it off, and made the best out of the snowy conditions, especially when using high velocity snowballs to stop Moka from getting to near Tsukune. As for the others, Yukari had become prone to making sudden snow angels, while Mizore seemed quietly at peace with her surroundings. None among them wished to be separated, but they had all excepted it quietly.

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Finally, the day of departure had arrived. Everyone was packed and ready to leave. Everyone except Moka. Tsukune had noticed that she was not carrying any luggage with her as she walked with him to the bus stop. The irony of it all was that Moka had been the one to look puzzled when she had seen him with his things packed.

"Are you going somewhere Tsukune?" she asked, as if unaware that it was their day of departure. "Did you forget Moka-san? Today is the day that everyone leaving for break has to catch the bus."

"Did the board chairman not tell you?" she asked Tsukune, sounding a little surprised that he had not known. "While you were in the infirmary, your parents wrote asking if you would be returning home for winter break. At that point, we weren't sure if you would be okay to travel or not, so we sent a return letter saying that you were going to spend your break here at the academy."

A look of dread filled Tsukune's face. Was he really going to be stuck at yokai academy all alone for the next two weeks? "M-Moka-san," Tsukune began, "do you mean to say that I'm going to spend my break stuck here by myself?" He had sounded desperate while asking the question. Of all the things to do with his temporary freedom, remaining at alone at the frigid academy filled with dangerous monsters had not been high on his list.

"Don't worry Tsukune," Moka said warmly, "You won't be by yourself this Christmas." Tsukune looked puzzled, "What do you mean Moka-san?" he asked, his hopes raising a little. "I mean that I'll be keeping you company." she answered, blushing at the thought of having Tsukune to herself for two whole weeks.

It was incredible. A mere matter of seconds ago, Tsukune's heart had sank, knowing that he would be condemned to a very lonely Christmas, but now he found his heart skipping several beats at the time. He stared absent mindedly into space, thinking just how wonderful his near future now looked. Tsukune's daydreaming of his time with Moka was cut short by the impression of fangs deep into his neck.

"I can't let my guard down for a second with you can I?"

"Nope." she replied, a cute smile on her face.

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Tsukune had trouble getting to sleep tonight. He found that his mind was racing at both the possibilities and the dilemmas at hand. He was overjoyed at the thought of spending his break alone with his vampire companion, or perhaps vampire girlfriend had become the more appropriate term? At any rate, Tsukune was grateful for the strange turn of events, though he felt a little sorry for Kurumu, Yukari, and Mizore. Moka had conveniently not mentioned to them that the two of them would be alone this vacation. He could bet that they would not be to happy when they figured it out.

Despite his excitement, and, on some small level, confusion about the prospect of having Moka to himself, Tsukune found that something was still troubling him. He had not forgotten the warning of the board chairman, he knew that the dream demon could still be targeting him. The thought of going to sleep and never waking up was utterly terrifying, especially when life in the waking world had begun to look so bright. Tsukune remembered that the ring on his left ring finger offered him some protection, but to what extent was unclear.

As he laid in the dark contemplating the dangers of trying to sleep, Tsukune heard a faint knocking coming from his door. He sat up and crossed the room, already forming a guess at who his visitor would be. As expected, Moka stood waiting in the hall. What he had not expected was for her to have brought her pillows, pajamas, and blankets with her.

Tsukune invited her in quickly, refusing her entrance a concept that anyone would find ridiculous. Words were no longer necessary, and both of them knew it. Moka kissed Tsukune once in the dark, both secretly wishing that they could see the looks on the others faces had they any way of knowing what the two of them were up to.

They retired to the bed quickly, huddling together as they had in the hospital. As Tsukune rubbed his hand along Moka's head, he reached the conclusion that the future would be filled with dangers regardless of his actions now. Trying to push the negative thoughts out of his head, Tsukune looked over at the image next to him. If not for himself, Tsukune would press onward for her.

"I love you Tsukune." she whispered. Tsukune smiled, they hadn't been able to say that since they were alone together in the infirmary bed.

"I love you too Moka-san."

That night Tsukune found himself lying awake a little longer than normal. He had been staring at Moka's sleeping face, not wishing to miss even a second of her. Eventually, however, his eyelids grew heavy, and he allowed himself to slip into a calming sleep, knowing that she would be there in the morning.

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And that's how the two finally end up alone during break. I hope you liked this chapter and will keeping reading to see what happens next. See you next chapter, and Best Regards as always!


	7. Feelings From Within

**Hope that everyone can forgive the length of time since I've updated, I believe that was the longest I've gone without writing a new chapter, but I digress. I am proud to present, **_**Rosario+Vampire: Heat of Winter - Chapter 7.**_

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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The night was calm. The air remained chilled, but the sky had cleared and the winds had gone to sleep for the night, inviting the moon's gleaming rays to descend unimpeded, illuminating the world below. Everything flowed quite seamlessly, a tasteful decadence serving as the scene's theme. The desirable silence of the academy was set in such a way that only the hushed whispers of lovers should disrupt its calm serenity, a serenity which had crept into a pair of sleeping hearts, bringing both souls to a gentle ease. Serenity had infected Tsukune's heart, allowing worry and fear to subside into the shadows cast in the vibrant light of the moon. Moments such as this were rare, but if they were not, would they not have presented lesser meaning? It was the fleeting nature of life's greatest moments that made them so glorious, especially for couples in love. Without the ups and downs that come with living, love would be a less valuable thing. Love is only desirable when it merits more than the worth of day to day life.

A faint tingle caused Tsukune to awaken. He could feel a quick consistent motion spreading faintly through his chest. He listened for some source of the disturbance, after all, where there was movement, there was sound. "A cat?" he asked, noting the sound seemed remarkably similar to the purr of a contented feline, something of a low purr. "What am I thinking, there couldn't be any cats around, save for Ms. Nekonome, god I hope she isn't stalking me now." Tsukune paused his thoughts; he had made an unlikely discovery. "M-Moka-san." he chuckled with a hint of disbelief. He put his ear to her diaphragm, and his theory was proven, the sound was most definitely originating from her. Tsukune was amused greatly by the adorable noise. "So vampires, purr." He whispered to the darkness of his room. Purring was certainly a sweet alternative to snoring. Quarks such as this were part of what made Tsukune feel Moka was so special. She had the beauty any other girl would happily kill for, the charm of her adorable innocence, but it was the unique way she presented it that had captured Tsukune's heart. Too few people strived to show their personality in any original ways, but he supposed that it was only natural that a vampire be just slightly more unique than other beings.

Sadly, it was Moka's unique nature as a vampire that had become a most toubling vex to Tsukune. The love he held for Moka was directed towards her soul, but was split among her two minds. In his time with her, Tsukune had reached the conclusion that her heart beat to the desires of both her forms, which led to the further conclusion that Moka had but a single soul. Tsukune was certain that she was a single person, but what he could not be sure of was whether or not the inner Moka would accept him. The outer Moka had a very warm mindset, and, as such, she had taken easily to Tsukune's advances, but the same could not necessarily be true for her inner self. Tsukune couldn't help but worry that her other persona would misinterpret his amorous feelings for her. If that rosario hanging around her neck was to come off, and _she_ was to come to, how would she respond then? Even her two personalities were two sides of the same coin, how could he be certain that both would accept him? Would it even be possible to approach her? Mizore may have been the schools resident ice queen, but Tsukune began to wonder if inner Moka was the one who would truly treat him coldly.

Tsukune found his thought swirling too uncontrollably to return to his pillow. He took note of the fair conditions outside his window, and realized that he was not averse to some late night pacing. Grabbing one of his more tattered grey coats from the closet, Tsukune took temporary leave of his room in order to seek out answers to his many questions.

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The temperature outside was as arctic as ever, but the night it self was at peace. Of course, the nature of his surroundings was not really what was on Tsukune's mind. "Would inner Moka think I was taking advantage of her other self's amorous nature and trusting disposition? I'm not even sure if she regards me as more than a food supply." Tsukune slammed his fist into the right side of his jaw. "What am I thinking? After all the times she put herself on the line to save me, how could I still question whether or not she thinks of me as a food supply. I'm certain that she's my friend, but could she ever perceive me as something greater? Can I ever prove my worth to her?"

Tsukune found his mind growing blank. Questions pertaining to inner Moka had about as many clear answers as asking what the meaning of life was. As he stared of into space, Tsukune realized that he would not find his answers floating amongst the stars. It was unclear to him how he would have to handle his situation, but he knew that there would eventually be a time and a place for him to unravel the answers he sought. Admitting defeat, Tsukune turned around and walked back up the road toward the dorms. Perhaps not knowing all the answers was a good thing, after all, was it not said that true wisdom comes from knowing that you know nothing?

As he reached the dormitory buildings, Tsukune took his first notice of the environment around him. What he saw, was a romantic night. The clear sky and silence of the academy formed a decadence best spent with someone you loved; as he entered the building, Tsukune took the stairway especially quick, realizing that he had begun to miss the girl who had left him so confused.

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Tsukune had rolled back into his bed, taking care not to make too much noise or motion. Despite his gut feeling of foreboding, Tsukune pulled his arms around her once more, and once more, he could feel her begin to purr. The questions from before had not yet left his mind, even now he found himself tracing his finger around the edge of her rosario, taking especially care not to remove it. "If she found herself lying in bed with me…" he shuddered in a manner that even the cold whether could not make him, the thought was to terrifying to complete. Through his fear, Tsukune had not stopped exploring the rosario, and now felt his finger drifting to the stone at the center, only to have it turn into a fearsome crimson eye. Between his desire not to wake Moka, and his terrible surge of fright, Tsukune soundlessly flew backwards. As he collided rather loudly with the floor, Tsukune caught sight of the dream oracle on his left hand, it too was shining a bright red.

He was unsure what was to be feared worse, the reaction of Moka's rosario or the peculiar behavior of his ring, but Tsukune did could be sure that neither was a good sign. It all the commotion, Moka's sleep had been disrupted and she awoke to the bright glow of her rosario. "Tsukune?" she inquired confusedly seeing him lying on the floor. A cool relief swept over Tsukune, Moka had retained her pink hair and green eyes.

"Moka-san" he started, sounding far more relieved than he would have a moment ago, "do you know why your rosario is behaving so odd?" Moka gave no answer. She merely looked down at the seal, as if it were speaking to her. "O-Ok." she whispered before getting up from the bed and crossing the room towards Tsukune. "Tsukune, my other self, she says wants to speak with you"

Tsukune felt his heart sink. Why, why did she have to speak with him now of all times? Obliging reluctantly, Tsukune took the rosario in his hand, and separated it from its chain. A matter of seconds latter, he found himself crossing eyes with a much less cheerful looking Moka.

The killing intent in the room was practically tangible it could be felt so strongly, and yet, it seemed somehow different from the aura this Moka usually gave off, as if there were more than hate behind it. The predicament was impossible to analyze, but the tension of the ordeal was beginning to peak.

"How dare _you, _a lowly _human_, deem yourself worthy to lay with a superior race such as myself!" Based upon the look he was receiving, Tsukune had reached the certainty that he was going to die, but this was merely his gut reaction, something in his head was telling him that there was something about Moka that seemed out of place. She continued. "Get this straight in your head you lower breed, you are not worthy of someone of my class, and your indiscretions with my body will not go unpunished!"

Tsukune threw himself out of the path of a rage driven punch, now knowing that this was not the true Moka. He had based this on two sole facts, the first being that, even through her pride, Moka would never cast such hateful dispersions upon him just because he was a human, and the second being that, had the true Moka tried to hit him like that, there would have been no chance of his survival. In that instant, Tsukune realized that somewhere along the line he had blurred the line between reality and fantasy, and that what he was dealing with now was being brought on by the will of the dream demon.

The ring continued to grow brightly, seeming to cast greater illumination with each blow Moka struck. The flurry of blows damaged everything from the walls, to the windows, to the furniture, but Tsukune remained ever illusive. For a few seconds, he had not thought to attack, his mind still struggling to fully realize that what he was fighting was not Moka, but a look alike created by the dream demon. Once his mind had time to fully register his situation, however, Tsukune wasted no time in dealing with the imposter.

Tsukune remembered his training with Moka. He moved quickly, avoiding any blows, and waiting for an opening. He ducked down quickly, narrowly avoiding a left hook from the demon. That was when Tsukune realized that he had the opening he needed. The imposter had come in too far on their instep, and their weight was poorly distributed at best with the majority of it being thrown into that last punch. These cumulative errors would lead to the creature's downfall, in the few seconds it took to reestablish its balance, the Moka look alike had been struck squarely between the two sides of the ribcage, forcing the breath from its body and hurling it across the room.

The dream oracle reacted wildly to Tsukune's victory, blinding both Tsukune and his opponent with its glow. When the light finally let up Tsukune saw a hideous, frail looking creature lying across the room, apparently the creature had been forced back to its original state. The strange entity hand a long, lanky, burnt looking frame, with horrendously long arms and legs. The flesh of the thing was blackened, and it appeared almost as if it had been burned alive. The creature's eyes were solid white, free from any sort of color and devoid of pupils. As it began to speak, Tsukune could make out the sight of two rows of deadly looking teeth, each of which would fall directly between the two immediately below it had the creature closed its jaws.

It began to speak. "So, you've found a way to protect yourself." The monster's voice was almost as terrible as the appearance it had been cursed with. It sounded rather like a raspy hiss. "Perhaps I cannot harm you while you wear that ring, but I feel you have missed one grave detail. Only one person can wear that ring at a time, and that leaves someone I know happens to mean quite a bit to you utterly defenseless." Tsukune let out a growl of anger. To attack him was one thing, but Moka was off limits. Before Tsukune could form a response however, the creature sank into the shadows, vanishing from his sight.

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"Tsukune." Called a familiar voice. Tsukune opened his eyes, not quite sure how they had closed in the first place. "Uhhh." he yawned drowsily, "Moka-san, how did I fall asleep?" "You didn't," replied the vampire calmly, "you passed out due to exhaustion from using the power of the dream oracle."

Tsukune looked over at to Moka, it wasn't like her to give him such a specific answer. Of course, the nature of her response made far more since once Tsukune realized that he was speaking to the inner Moka, rather than the outer one. His first instinct had been to kneel and beg for her forgiveness, but he couldn't feel any negative energy stemming from her.

Tsukune suddenly remembered the ominous last words the monstrosity from before had spoken. Tsukune was uncertain whether or not Moka was angry with him for his advances toward her other form, but he knew that he would do anything he could to keep her safe, regardless of how she felt about him. "M-Moka-san," he said suddenly, "here, from now on I want you to wear this." He had placed the ring into her hand.

"Tsukune, you should keep…"

"No Moka-san." he interrupted, "Your safety is what matters most to me, I won't accept that ring back, your protection matters more to me than my own, regardless of whether or not you find me worthy of you."

Tsukune felt a harsh slap cross his face, "Idiot!" Moka exclaimed with disbelief, "You didn't actually take any of what that _thing_ said to heart did you. Gees, Tsukune you can be such an idiot sometimes."

Now Tsukune was truly confused, her words had sounded kind, but she had still slapped him. Moka, exasperated by his cluelessness, took his hand in her own. "Tsukune, you know that both I and the outer Moka share the same emotions, the only difference is that I struggle more to express them."

Tsukune thought he had just felt his heart stop. At first, he wouldn't dare believe it. "So, do you approve of the relatioshi…" His words had been abruptly halted. This side of Moka had always been the one to handle things abruptly, but her sudden kiss had come as an unexpected surprise. Before, pulling herself away, she took a moment to suck playfully on Tsukune upper lip. Finally, the two separated. Tsukune was speechless, but relieved to be free from his previous confusion. Moka's voice broke the seemingly lengthy silence between them. "You really don't catch on quick do you Tsukune? I told you, both the outer Moka and I share the same soul, so if she loves you, then of course I love you too."

Tsukune awoke, the shock of Moka's words freeing him from the dream world. He looked down and saw that he was holding the outer Moka in his arms once more, and, as he lay there holding her close, Tsukune heard her purr once more. He heard both of her purr.


	8. Prying Eyes

**I remember when I first started writing this story, the first thing I did was post a notice at the top of the story saying that I was busy and might update slow. Well, before that was just my assumption, now it is almost a certainty as I just joined up with the Mock Trial Club and have meetings three nights a week and I'm playing the role of TWO attorneys. Oh well, I can see that this little authors update is getting a little lengthy, and very unprofessional as it has nothing to do with my story, so I now present, Rosario+Vampire Heat of Winter - Chapter 8.**

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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The rest of the night was peaceful, the tender weather and emotions never changing, but rather leaving life unspoiled. Tsukune was still pondering the danger that surrounded him, or perhaps the dangers surrounding Moka, as she was now the target of his attacker. Terrible thoughts whisked in and out of Tsukune's mind, even now, even while she dreamed so sweetly, she could at the brink of destruction.

Tsukune decided waiting until morning risked too much, and began to wake Moka from her potentially immediate peril. "Moka-san. Moka-san can you hear me?" The vampire stirred at his voice, letting a low hum as she awoke. "Hmm, Tsukune? It's still dark out is something wrong?"

"Moka-san," he began, "do you know about what happened tonight?" She blinked, her expression showing that she lacked even the faintest inclination as to what Tsukune was talking about. He continued when she gave no answer. "Moka-san, earlier tonight, the dream demon returned and…"

"Are you alright?" Moka interrupted with loud concern. She pinned him down, closely examining him to ensure that he was indeed alright. "I'm fine Moka-san." Tsukune whispered placing a kiss on her cheek in hope of calming her down. Moka quit with her close inspection of Tsukune, but he could still see the concern in her eyes.

"Moka-san, I'll be fine, but that thing is still out there, and I think that next time it might come after you, so I want you to wear this from now on." Tsukune removed the ring, and slide it on her left ring finger, knowing that that was where it belonged. "Tsukune, you…." Tsukune pressed a finger to her lips. He had know that Moka would try to return the ring, just as she had in the dream, but the importance of her safety still remained his top priority. "Moka-san," he continued, "I won't take back that ring. It's one thing for the demon to come after me, but if I ever let it bring harm to you…" Tsukune dropped his sentence there, an expression of pain spreading across his features just at the though of Moka in harm's way. "I couldn't live knowing something had happened to you. You need to wear that ring, and if you don't, then I won't either.

Moka felt herself grow a little hot. An incredible blush had crossed her face and a surge of heat had consumed her body; she found this more dominant side of Tsukune rather attractive. Moka gave up on persuading him, he seemed quite adamant that she should wear the ring. She hadn't let Tsukune see, but when he had put her safety ahead of his own, a lone tear had run down her cheek.

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The sun seemed to start work early the next morning, breaking the horizon only a few minutes earlier than it should have. Tsukune was just beginning to pull away from his sleep, which had been disturbed by the intrusion of a warm tickling breeze. As his conscious mind began to catch up with his body, Tsukune realized that the wind had no method of entering his room, but the realization of what was occurring soon became obvious. He returned Moka's kiss, wishing that he had always had such an enjoyable morning alarm.

"Feeling extra affectionate this morning?" Moka giggled, "I couldn't wait for you any longer you sleepy head." Tsukune chuckled a little, Moka was being especially cute this morning. Tsukune rolled onto his back, just beginning to ponder how to occupy the day. Almost instantly he remembered that his day was already quite planned out, being that it was one of his training sessions with the inner Moka. In all honesty, he wasn't sure whether or not to look forward to this. On the one hand, the training sessions had always been rather enjoyable, though slightly arduous, and he now knew that the inner Moka would not reject, or punish, his advances. On the other hand, Moka's method of teaching yielded rather debilitating results, and by the time Tsukune felt confident that his body had recovered, it would already be time to train once more.

"Tsukune." Moka was now lying on top of him, giving her usual pleading look. "I always feel a little light headed in the morning, and…" Tsukune had known what she was asking for before she even made the request, his answer came in the form of a gesture as he drew her inward to his neck, bracing as he always did for a bite. The typical euphoria set in. The reaction to his blood was never quite the same, the taste and texture varied slightly, and the taste often varied with some small margin, but the ecstatic conclusion was always the same mixture of delight, and sadness that she could drink no more.

At the end of her meal, Moka kissed the still fresh wound, an act that ceased the minor pains the fang marks would have exerted. Now contented, she returned to her previous position, one in which Tsukune had replaced the mattress. Neither one wanted to move, but the sudden stirring of Tsukune's stomach reminded them that they would not be able to live in bed forever. "Tsukune," Moka started in response to his sudden rumble of hunger, "since you made me breakfast, how about I do the same for you?" The proposition hardly seemed fair, after all, all that was required in preparing Moka her breakfast was briefly submitting to her fangs, but Tsukune admitted to himself that he could not pass up the chance to eat her cooking, even if some of it did taste slightly of grass.

It seemed to be a rather intriguing prospect. Somewhere beyond the perception of mere vision, there lurked a part of Moka to proud to ever serve another, and yet what Tsukune's eyes now saw was a perfectly cheerful young lady willingly adorning an apron and tending to the kitchen. For some reason, Tsukune had never pegged Moka as the housewife type, and he held no expectation of this to her, were they ever to actually marry, but he could not deny that the fragrance looming off of the stove seemed most appetizing. If Moka had no objections to preparing a meal every once in a while, then he would be more than willing to devour it accordingly.

Roughly fifteen minutes passed by before Moka emerged with two plates in hand. Though the scent itself had seemed notably delectable, the food which had been prepared consisted of a pair of plates, each containing a fair portion of scrambled egg. Tsukune had grown accustomed to eating any bland combination of eggs which he could readily prepare, as it was one of the few things he actually knew how to cook, so he was quite surprised when the flavors grazed his tongue. At first, Tsukune had felt a little downcast that all Moka had prepared brought no change from his typical morning breakfast, but the she had done things with the meal that had never occurred to him.

The first thing that anyone would notice upon eating the cooking of any vampire would be the taste of herbs, an aspect that might not appeal to the more finicky eater, but what drew Tsukune's attention most quickly were the squares of ham he found hidden within the lumps of egg. They really did a lot to contribute to the flavor, though Tsukune felt a little inferior for not thinking of such an obvious thing himself. After chewing the food a bit more vigorously, a new surge of flavor hit Tsukune's tongue.

A confused look hit Tsukune, and he swallowed his food quickly in order to ask a question. "Moka-san, is that garlic I taste? I thought that garlic was harmful to vampires." Moka smiled, a little amused by his ignorance. "Tsukune, that's just a human rumor, but there isn't any truth to it. Garlic doesn't present any danger to a vampire; the only thing we have against it is its smell. Vampires have very acute senses, so the strong scent of garlic can become a little unappealing, but it's not toxic. Actually, I don't use very much of it, but I decided to use it because I thought you like it." "How did you know I like garlic?" Tsukune asked. "Well sometimes I can tell what you've eaten recently because it slightly affects the taste of your blood. Your blood doesn't take on the taste of any particular food, but sometimes I can tall certain things about you just by drinking your blood. I also know your favorite colors are pink and green."

Tsukune smiled, it was comforting to see that Moka had learned so much about him. As he continued to consume his breakfast, he silently wondered whether or not she also knew why pink and green were his two favorite colors.

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Human or vampire, feeding was necessary, but as neither breed would like to accept, it was only one of life's duties, and other commitments would intrude, as sure as they would also fade away. Not with a heart of burden, though also not with the whimsy that would so gracefully glide above the air, Tsukune proceeded with the task at hand, feeling both desire and dread of the day's harsh outlook, though thankfully forgetting the new challenges each night would bring.

Moka stood at her now typical position. No longer did her form fill out the spaces near Tsukune, but rather it bordered him completely, their shoulders the thin margin preventing them from flowing together as one, and their laced fingers the symbol of their pact, their alliance, and their youthful love. The mind of youth is often overly decisive, and the rule played out in these two as well. They had made no effort to declare the newly born nature of their relationship, but even as they approached the board chairman's office, the area Ruby most commonly frequented, the thought to disengage from one another had not occurred.

Tsukune opened the door, and Moka filed in directly behind him, then link formed by their hands left her no other way to pass. Ruby turned at the sound of the door, she had been anticipating the visit as she rarely saw Tsukune outside of the days he was to train. "Good morning, Tsukune, Moka!" the witch exclaimed. Her happiness lived only briefly before subsiding, the twinge of jealousy was now harbored in at the sight of their locked fingers.

"Oh, I-I guess your hear to train, aren't you?" Ruby asked, stuttering only a little when she realized she had been eyeing the two absentmindedly for the duration of an uncomfortable silence. The direction of her envious eyes had not gone without notice. How could it when her gaze nearly seared there hands. Moka and Tsukune pulled apart quickly, wasting their effort as the planted their hands swiftly behind their heads, not fooling the witch as they pretended that they had never been holding hands at all.

Ruby had seen it coming, but she had not looked forward to the day Tsukune would declare Moka as his choice; still, the witch kept her hurt demeanor to well hidden, even smiling as she passed the whip to Moka.

Even before the vampire had attained a proper grip of the item, Belmond's power had already become apparent, and the mighty aura of the inner vampire filled the room. If not by her own self control than by measure of fear of the wrath of the present Moka. Even the deepest of masochists sought not that pain.

"Hello Tsukune." the vampire whispered, her whisper shifting slightly in to a hushed hiss when she drew nearer. "Ready to push your limits today?" she continued, unsettling him as she eyed his neck.

"Y-yes Moka-san." Tsukune whispered back, his stutter fitting both the bills of seduction, as well as the fear that his neck would face a second puncture today. The ever observant vampire took quick note of his reaction, and decided it best to fend of her bloodlust, at least, for the time being. "Good, I promise to give you enjoyable guidance today." She had purred the sentence, quite literally, to Tsukune. Moka tugged a tad at her skirt, as she tightly bound Belmond to her. As she did so, Tsukune could swear she displayed herself to him with a little less modesty than usual, but only a little. Regardless of whether or not he had imagined the extra flash of skin or not, Tsukune did make one prevalent discovery. Look out on days when Moka seems cute, for as cute as her outer half was, her inner depths would be twice as seductive.

To Tsukune's dismay, the tone and texture of Moka's voice had been quite misleading, and her handling of him had been no less intense than on any other occasion. Each mistake was corrected by a demonstration of every possible scenario that could befall him should he make such a mistake in actual battle, but at least his reward for the successful completion of each portion of the lesson was an approving smile.

Tsukune collected the usual bounty of bruises through the course of the his day's work, but at least Moka had seemed content with his progress today, something that, up until recently, had not often occurred.

Tsukune was sitting down leaning against a tree, replacing his track shoes with the slightly more elegant pair he typically wore. "You did pretty well today Tsukune" said Moka, seating herself beside him, "and not just with your fighting." Moka had begun eyeing her left hand as if to clue him in on her meaning. "The other Moka is ecstatic, by the way, that you choose her safety over your own. I myself don't really appreciate being offered help from other people." Tsukune glanced at the ground, hoping that he had not done too much damage to her vampire pride. "But I think I can make an exception if it is you, Tsukune."

She drew a little closer eyeing his neck once more, this time sniffing slightly for his scent. He smelled a little of sweat, but his scent was otherwise desirable. "M-Moka-san." Tsukune said, squirming away slightly. "Hmhm." Moka chuckled a little at his defensive reaction. "Just a little Tsukune? Please?" Tsukune's face took on a stunned expression, even the outer Moka sometimes stole his blood without consent, but the inner Moka had never used the word "please" at all.

In his state of surprise, Tsukune failed to prevent the quick nip from the vampire's fangs. To his delight, this Moka seemed able to bite him far more painlessly than the other, though a small part of him had to admit he liked slightly enjoyed the pain. "I would have let you drink my blood Moka-san; you didn't have to get me with that sneak attack."

"Sorry Tsukune, but you know what they say, 'love bites', besides, you look so much cutter when you're surprised." Moka began to playfully mess up Tsukune's hair. This side of Moka was new to Tsukune. The girl he always thought was so mighty and proud was now acting flirtatious and being spontaneously playful. Perhaps this was the manner of instruction she had mentioned before?

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Two pairs of eyes, as well as two sets of lips, met amorously in the clearing; one set looked on with reluctant acceptance, as well as empathetic happiness from the border of the two worlds, and a third onlooker gazed distantly upon them, undetected, seeking weakness, and waiting for it to show. Three pairs of eyes glowed with cheer, but only those which went unseen held malice. Malice which the creature plotted, holding it in, waiting for the time when it could manifest. Breathing silently inward, it thought to itself. "Fool. My kind never changes their target, and just as you were guided into passing that protective ring onto another, so shall you be guided into passing your life onto me."

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I feel bad that this update took so long, but then again I myself am one of my biggest critics. This probably wasn't the most critical chapter ever, and while the longest I've written so far, it is not especially lengthy either, so I can't really justify my tardiness. One up note however, my Mock Trial club got more members, so now I'm down to ONE attorney position. In case anyone was wondering about Moka's "love bites" comment, it's actaully a quote from a Def Leppard song, appropriately named, "Love Bites". I think all stop blathering on now, most of you probably don't find this to interesting, so I'll let you get about your business. Cheers! (I wonder if many American's end their writing with "cheers", if not I guess I'm a pioneer.)


	9. Eternity

**It has been far, far to long has it not. I hope no one out there assumed I had quit writing this fanfic. I would as soon turn a knife to my throat as give up on writing. I wish I could tell you that, in my absence, I have written a masterful continuation to this story, I wish I could tell you I had many colorful adventures to adapt to my piece, but I am not a liar. Hopefully this chapter will go well based on my own ability as a writer, which, I must admit, I have been questioning lately.**

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

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"You couldn't have gone any easier on me?" Tsukune asked with a knowing smile as the two prepared to leave Paradise behind.

"Of course not." Moka replied, "You wouldn't grow any stronger if I took it easy on you Tsukune. Just think of training as my way of giving you little love taps."

"Moka-san, love taps don't usually leave someone feeling like they were hit by a bus, but it's worth it if it helps me to protect you."

Moka smiled and gave a quick flick at Tsukune's nose. "There, was that gentle enough?" she asked in a playful tone. Oh, and, Tsukune, why do you still call me 'Moka-san'? Surely you should address your girlfriend in a more familiar manner. Your formality towards me is sweet, but you can just call me Moka or Moka-chan.

Tsukune felt a blush spread out over his face. He knew it was silly of him to think so after all that they had gone through, but for some reason Moka addressing him as her boyfriend had seemed surprising, sometimes the teenage heart was confusing.

Moka almost intuitively cocked an eyebrow at him. "Tsukune, surely your not uncomfortable with me calling you my boyfriend?"

"N-not at all Moka. I just never thought I could have someone like you as my girlfriend."

"Someone like me?" she replied inquisitively. "What's wrong with me?" Her expression now told tales of her anger, but also of her hurt.

"N-n-nothing Moka!" Tsukune stammered a bit more frantically. "I only meant I never thought I'd be with someone as wonderful as you." The hurt and anger fell from Moka's face as began to giggle into her palm.

"Relax Tsukune, I'm only joking" she was almost whimpering through her giggles now.

"J-joking? Why would you do that?" He asked in bewilderment

"It's like I told you before Tsukune, you're cute when your caught of guard."

Moka and Tsukune walked out of Paradise arm in arm; crossing the chairman's office as if they were the only ones present. Ruby had begun to watch Moka out of the corner of her eye, wondering whether or not she was intent upon returning Belmond. Moka could sense the tension coming from Ruby, but from her eyes it was abundantly clear that she did not have any intention of returning the whip "Come on Tsukune, let hang out for a while."

"Your not going to return the chairman's whip Moka?" Tsukune asked.

"No Tsukune, I want to spend a little time with you in my unsealed state; I don't think that the chairman will mind if Belmond disappears until tomorrow." With those as her parting words Moka pulled Tsukune away with her leaving an agitated Ruby behind.

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A strong scent of salt was dense in the air, almost enough that one could lick the air and taste it. The sound of waves trying desperately to scale the rocky cliffs echoed from the waters below. A glowing sickle illuminated the sky above, casting intervening rays of light which glistened softly and erratically of the surface of the sea. The mixture of sea foam and light was delicious.

They would have the place to themselves. So few students still remained at the academy and all but Moka and Tsukune had taken to their dorms. This was perfect. For this, seclusion was necessary.

"You did quite well in training today Tsukune." Moka started as they reached the cliffs.

"I was no better than usual Moka" he replied, sounding a little ashamed at his lack of progress.

"That's not true." she replied. "Today you fought differently. You showed fierce determination to win the battle, but also restraint. You new you needed to grow strong to protect me, but you also knew that I was your opponent and therefore made no effort to do me harm. This means you are strongly motivated, but do not seek to destroy your enemies; because of this you were able to fight quite poetically. This is the true mark of power. You control your power, it does not control you. You would have made a good vampire Tsukune."

Tsukune listened to Moka intently; there seemed to be more to her words than praise. The tone of her voice suggested that she had a reason for telling him this. Her words had sounded somehow downcast and foreboding.

Moka continued to speak. "Tsukune, do you realize that I wish to protect you as well?" He had begun to move his lips in response but she had not allowed him the chance to deliver his answer. "Today you have shown me how strong your desire to keep me safe truly is; you have given me your ring, the one thing keeping you safe, and you have fought in a way that shows both determination and love. I, however, have done nothing to protect you."

"You've protected me for the last two years Moka."

"Yes, this is true, but now we face a new breed of opponent. One I cannot so easily protect you from. Tsukune, this dream demon doesn't fight the way other yokai do. It isn't a mindless hunk of muscles trying to land a deadly blow; it's more patient and calculating than that. This enemy attacks you from a location I cannot occupy, and without this ring you'll fall right into its illusions! You remember that not so long ago this creature tricked you into attempting to kill yourself? I'm scared that if I let you fall asleep I'll never see you alive again!"

"We'll figure this out Moka."

"But how can you know that? How do you know that you'll return to the waking world the next time you fall asleep?"

"I know I'll return because there's someone here I could never abandon." Tsukune replied, trying not to show that he was just as afraid as she was.

"Tsukune, you really don't understand!" Moka replied pulling him into a hug. She had now begun to sob into his chest. "Even if we do stop this enemy things won't change! Your still d-dying slowly, right in front of my eyes! You do realize that a vampire live on forever unless it is killed don't you? Humans are not the same way. Whether the d-day is today, tomorrow, or sixty years from now, eventually I'm going to l-lose you! Every night when you go to sleep both I and the outer Moka spend hours listening to your heartbeat, and the whole time I know that one day it will stop beating, and that I'll be left alone."

"I hadn't thought of that." Tsukune whispered at a loss for anything else to say. "Moka, I want to be with you forever, I'm sorry I'm a human…"

Moka crushed him into a tighter hug. "No, Tsukune please don't apologize, you've done nothing wrong. If anything I'm being to selfish by wishing that I could have you to myself forever."

"There's nothing selfish about wanting to love forever Moka." Tsukune whispered, tears now streaming from his eyes as well. "I hate it as much as you do, but there are only two possible roads ahead of me. Either I will be killed by this demon, or I will live and spend the rest of my mortality with you."

Moka's sobs only grew stronger. "Tsukune, there is one road you have not seen, but it is not one many wish to travel. Regardless of the path you choose though, in the end you will no longer be the same man you are now."

"What alternatives are there to death Moka?"

"Life."

"I don't understand."

"Tsukune, no matter what fortune befalls you, and what choice you make here and now, I plan to spend as many moments with you as I possibly can. What I have to ask of you is a very selfish request, but nothing would make me happier than for you to join my kind. When I said you would have made a good vampire Tsukune, I meant it. Please, Tsukune, will you share eternity with me?"

No answer came. Tsukune's mind was still taking in the enormity of her request. His acceptance would guarantee him an everlasting lifetime with Moka, the power to protect her, as well as himself, but it would also mean watching everyone and everything else in his life wither away before him. The decision did not take long to arrive. No matter how dear his family was to him, no matter how attached he was to the present world, no matter how much he valued his humanity, nothing meant more to him than Moka.

Tsukune's voice finally broke out over Moka's crying. "Moka, what you have asked of me is quite great. Becoming a vampire would mean living to watch my entire world die."

"I-I understand T-T-Tsukune. I've asked for too much." She whispered, sounding devastated beyond belief.

"No Moka." Tsukune whispered kissing the top of her head. "My feelings toward my world, and even toward my own family, they pale in comparison to what I feel for you."

Moka's weeping ceased as she heard Tsukune's words. The happiness that flowed into her heart stung with almost the same intensity of the pain she had experienced mere moments ago. She looked up into Tsukune's eyes, which showed no signs of doubt, only loving acceptance of her, and everything she was, or would ever be.

"Tsukune Aono, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." She whispered as she nuzzled his neck.

"Then do it."

"Without hesitation, Moka parted her lips, and pierced her fangs deep into Tsukune's neck."

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I hope everyone who read this appreciated my little comeback update. I think it has been over a month since I've written for this story and what's more this chapter is exceptionally short. For this I sincerely apologize. I'll try to be more timely. Best regards!

-- Des Mors Morde


	10. Transformation

**Hello everyone. Whew, I've had a rough week. I've been a little distracted by a troubled friend, but now I'm back in business and proud to announce the continuation of Heat of Winter! (I still don't like that title.)**

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**Disclaimer:** I do not claim the rights to any of the characters in this story or Rosario Vampire and acknowledge that they are the property of their owner Ikeda Akihisa.

* * *

The steel breeze swept down in a fresh gust. The waves swelled and struck in regular increments and the rustle of the local foliage paced out in steady rhythm. The pulse of nature shifted only ever so slightly as if the motion of the sky and sea hoped to emulate the beat of another heart. As the flow of blood peaked, so did the temperance of nature.

Vampire's blood has an interesting array of effects. Though a miraculous cure to a wide span of ailments, the blood had now taken on elements contrary to the idea of a perfect cure. Imagine how a child's eyes swell at the mention of an injection; they who associate the pain of the ordeal with the cold needle tip which breaks their skin. Past experience, however, had dispelled such delusions from Tsukune's mind. Moka's fangs had always left his neck with a stinging sensation, but never before had it reached the level of intensity that causes a trypanophobe to dash away from a needle. No it was clear that Moka's fangs were not the sole explanation for this spreading pain, but rather the element which was being injected. Moka's blood was what had wrought this pain upon him.. None of her previous inoculations had caused such trauma, but the quantity of blood being passed had never been so vast.

She could feel his muscles quivering. A slight feeling of self resentment appeared as Moka realized that she was responsible for his convulsions, but she had none from the start that the accession into immortality would not come as an altogether painless process. She let out a soft purr in an attempt to sooth Tsukune's pain. Tsukune smiled through gritted teeth, gaining some contentment in knowing that Moka could consciously control her purring.

After what seemed like an age Tsukune finally felt the fangs leave his skin, but by now the pain had escalated even further. His breaths had grown a deal sharper and the thumping feeling in his chest was growing increasingly intense. With every heartbeat it felt as though a poison were circulating through his bloodstream. The veins throughout his body screamed and contracted tensely making every second excruciating and agonizing. He doubled over in a low moan collapsing into Moka's chest. "Moka, what is this?" he whispered through a hard exhale.

She began to run her hand through his hair whispering to him that the pain was only for a while. "Tsukune, your body is trying to reject my blood. This hasn't happened before because I've never put so much into your body, but it's natural that this process would get intense. Be thankful that you're already partway ghoul, because of that the process should take a lot less of a toll on you than it would on most humans. In some cases a human gaining a vampire's power may become intensely ill for as long as three days. As a ghoul, it is unlikely that you'll experience much pain for more than several hours."

"H-hours?" he gasped in incredulity.

"Yes Tsukune, this could last several hours, but the majority of the time will not hurt so severely. Have you ever had the flu before? It'll be a lot like that except your body will experience some aching. Don't worry Tsukune, I won't let anything happen to you, but we need to get you to a warmer place so that you can get through this."

Moka gently pulled Tsukune into her arms and picked him up from the ground. "I'm going to take you to my room okay Tsukune? My sheets are fresher than yours and you should be able to rest better there." With that said she began to carry him towards the dormitories. As she walked, Moka couldn't help but smile a little. Tsukune was hers, and soon he would be able to spend an endless lifetime with her, but for now it was best that she get him to someplace warm. The fact that her bed happened to be that place was just a little bonus.

* * *

Moka gently set Tsukune down onto her bed. His breathing had gotten a little more steady, but he was still shaking quite a bit. "Tsukune, you're cold, get under the blankets." she instructed warmly. As Tsukune crawled under the covers he noted that they were considerably nicer than his own. The top sheet was a beautiful shade of scarlet and the additional layers were made of a very smooth, very warm material.

"Moka you're bed is so nice." he whispered.

"Father does spoil us at times." Moka replied from the kitchen. She had begun to rummage through the cabinets in search of something. A moment later she returned with a bottle of labeled aspirin in hand. "Here Tsukune, take some of this." she said producing two pills and some water. "They're not as effective as most prescribed pain killers, but vampire's can't use those, a lot of them are unsafe for people with blood disorders. Still, this will help with some of your pains. Hopefully it'll prevent any sort of headache."

"Thank you Moka." Tsukune groaned as another series of pains shot through him. He sat up and swallowed the aspirin with haste, he had never liked having to take pills. It was childish but part of him missed the days where all medicine came in liquid form. Tsukune fell back onto the mattress, beginning to feel a cold sweat break out over him. He toke this opportunity to examine the rest of Moka's room. It was similar to his own, aside from being much larger. The key difference was that Moka had a small living room like area which sunk in at one corner. It was complete with a small loveseat and a flat screen T.V. Moka's father certainly did spoil his daughter. The television set however, was not what made Tsukune envious. Apparently the girls had the luxury of private bathrooms, something Tsukune truly desired. The various monsters of Yokai Academy were not always very hygienic.

"How are you feeling Tsukune?" Moka asked in a darling tone before kissing him on the forehead. He blushed, a little taken aback by Moka's motherly actions.

"I'm fine Moka." he said in as even a voice as he could muster.

"Liar." she replied flicking his nose gently. " I'll make you a little cocoa Tsukune, something warm like that may just do you some good. I'd offer you some coffee but I'd hate to keep you up all night." _Well maybe I do but I think you had better rest for now. _Moka turned to hide her blush, she hadn't meant to think that.

Moka left Tsukune alone and walked off to the kitchen. For a moment Tsukune reflected on the evening. He wondered what his parents would say if they knew that he had begun to live with his girlfriend rather than return home. His mother would probably have a panic attack and his father would feel a strange mixture of frustration and pride.

After a few minutes Moka returned to the room holding a tray containing two glasses of hot chocolate. She sat the tray on her bedside table and handed Tsukune his glass. "So I suppose from now on I'll have to make drinks like this from herbal water right Moka?" he asked.

"Actually Tsukune I didn't use any herbal water for the cocoa, that probably wouldn't taste very good, you see a vampire cannot have pure water, but they do not have to mix their water with herbs. In this case I used a form of mineral water, that way I wouldn't change the flavor of the chocolate too much. Actually, I only use herbal water when I cook foods that taste good with an herbal flavor, otherwise I just use this."

"Being a vampire is certainly going to take some getting used to."

"You'll get used to it. Besides there are certain advantages to it."

"What sort of advantages?" Tsukune asked.

"Well the first and most obvious change will be in your physical ability. The increased strength and endurance can be useful in a great many ways. You're senses will become much sharper, and you'll most likely become more intuitive. But I think the best part is the way we'll be able to relate to each other now."

"Do you feel closer to me now that I'm going to be a vampire Moka?" Tsukune asked.

"I'll admit it will make things easier for me now that you and I will be of the same species Tsukune, but the real reason I'm glad you'll be a vampire is that a vampire can always sense where there mate is, whether or not they feel well, and we're even able to share each others dreams."

"Wait," Tsukune interrupted, "so now you can look after me in my dreams?" Tsukune said in surprise. He lowered his tone immediately as talking so loudly had caused him harsh chest pain.

"You need to rest more Tsukune." Moka said in response to his obvious pain. We can discuss things more in the morning, but for now I think you had best sleep." Tsukune nodded in acceptance. As curious as he was about what being a vampire entailed he couldn't deny that he felt very worn out. Between training with Moka earlier and undergoing the transition into a vampire rest was something he sorely needed.

Moka sat her glass aside and climbed into bed next to Tsukune. "I love you Tsukune" she whispered, "I'll see you in the morning." No response came, he was already asleep.

* * *

Tsukune awoke with a yawn the next morning. He had felt like he was going to die just the night before, but now his body felt fresh, like new life had been given to him over the course of his sleep. He took note of a small hand mirror on Moka's side table. His feeling of rejuvenation made him sure that the transformation was complete, but he still had to see for certain. Nothing could have prepared him for his reflection. There was not even the most remote feeling of remorse in him, but the sight of those two crimson eyes staring back at him was still something that was too new to be accustomed to.

"There beautiful Tsukune." Moka whispered from his chest. "You look marvelous as a vampire. Those eyes are very becoming on you."

"Hmhm." Tsukune chuckled. "Thank you Moka, but I still think they look better on you. So, what do you say we brew some coffee and finish our conversation from last night?"

"Are you eager to learn what it means to be a vampire Tsukune?" she asked before catching him of guard with a very deep kiss. She looked down into his crimson eyes.

"Then let's start by putting that heightened vampire endurance to the test."

* * *

And as usual you have my big last line closer. I don't know if I just like cliff hangers or if I'm just too lazy to write more, but I hope that all of the readers enjoyed this one. I'll probably check in tomorrow to see how this chapter was received, but for now I think I'll retire. All of that thanksgiving turkey is starting to make me sleepy.


	11. A History Lesson

The remainder of the morning had passed seamlessly into the afternoon. Time was a problematic device created by mortals. Perhaps first conceived by some primitive being in a cave, the first seconds stones tossed in a pile to measure the passing of time. Such notions only meant as much as the stock put into them, and to immortals, the falling of these stones meant even less. So as the birds chirped, in incremented beats, called forth by the rise of the sun and dutifully continued throughout the hours to come; all the while bursts of exhilaration and calls of ecstasy gave life to the world hidden behind the closed curtains of their room. As language left, and native tongue of lust and body set in, the prominence of the rest of the world was overcome by the fulfillment of desire.

Elegance and pride were the shield and sword of vampires, so funny to see them drop so readily. Tsukune soon learned that the underlying instincts of a vampire should quite readily disrupt this superior demeanor, leaving what was almost a beast in their wake. It was, perhaps, the most savage he had ever seen Moka, and yet the least intimidating, but, now, his beautiful vampire had resigned with dignity to his arms, exhausted and satisfied. In turn, Moka now clung to a very limp Tsukune. An air of accomplishment was exerted from her, and she could not help but mark his state as a sign of her success. "Consider that my parting gift Tsukune." Moka whispered as she rubbed his chest raw with Belmond. The faint yet familiar glimmer of confusion shot from Tsukune's eyes. "Parting gift Moka-chan?"

"Baka." Moka whispered in amusement. "I'm not leaving Tsukune, merely - resigning for a while, I'm sure that our time with Belmond has been stretched long enough." A mixture of amusement and embarrassment struck Tsukune as he thought of returning the whip crossed his mind. He could not help but ponder the mixed reaction Ruby was sure to have as she considered just how the item had been used. "Tsukune," Moka sounded, "before we return Belmond, I would like to have a discussion with you about what it is to be a vampire, just to make sure you understand what you have to get used too."

"It doesn't seem all that complicated Moka-chan, all I have to do is drink blood frequently and I'll be fine right?" Tsukune said, almost belittling the prestige of vampires with the simplicity of his explanation

"Not quite Tsukune." Moka replied with a almost grave seriousness, "Actually there are far more details about our race that you need to understand. Let's get dressed, and then I'll go into detail." Moka rose from the bed, sauntering across the room, exerting her usual air of confidence as she went. Never had Tsukune more appreciated seeing a woman walk away.

Tsukune adorned his dirtied clothes from the previous day, not having had the time to prepare a second change of clothes. The school uniform was obviously worse for ware, marred at points by dirt, and dyed red in blotches about the collar, stained by straying drops of blood. Neither of the two made any great haste, but both would wish they had as an unwelcome voice sounded with a knock, just outside the door.

"Onee-chan! Open the door, I know you're unsealed, I can feel your aura! Open up so I can visit my real onee-chan!" Kokoa's knocks were starting to rattle the door, she had never been the patient one among the group. Attacked by giant monsters, nearly burned alive, almost sliced in half, such was the list of travesties experienced by Tsukune Aono, and yet never had his expression better reflected terror and desperation.

Tsukune made a frantic grab for his clothes, only to realize that there was nowhere to run. Moka looked on with mild amusement, knowing that it was inevitable Kokoa would learn of their relationship. "There's no point hiding anything Tsukune everyone would discover our relationship anyway. Besides if we don't let her in Kokoa will probably break in the door." Moka slipped into a robe proceeded to the door, opening it before Tsukune could even button his pants, and he could swear that he saw her grin ever so slightly as she did.

Kokoa's eyes shot straight to Tsukune. It must have been the first time she did not instantly aim to grab her sisters attention. Her expression was not so easily discerned. She appeared disgusted, confused, shocked, but of course, all these expressions were soon eclipsed by, enraged.

"You worm!" It was the only thing that could be heard other than the sounds of loud smashes. Kokoa's mouth moved in an attempt to scream further spiteful slurs, but she seemed somehow silenced by her anger. Kou hade already taken the form of a very threatening looking bat, covered in unwelcomingly long, sharp barbs. Tsukune dove out of the way, scarcely avoiding a swing that left the lamp of a bedside table in pieces. A barrage of semi-accurate strikes continued to rain downward upon Tsukune, who managed to flee backward just enough to evade each one. After a few moments Kokoa found her prey pinned in a corner of the bathroom, and she moved in for a hit that she knew he could not possibly miss.

Things seemed to slow down. Kokoa's swing came in near slow motion. It was not at all a strange moment, Tsukune had noticed this happen several times when fighting as a ghoul, but it seemed somehow more dramatic this time. In a moment of action, Tsukune tore the weapon away from Kokoa, and laid one light blow to knock her away. Or at least he thought he did. Apparently gauging the difference in power between the strength of a ghoul and a vampire was a more daunting task that it seemed, for the intended light blow left Kokoa very far away, traveling very fast, and very much unconscious. On a pleasant note, the walls of the room seemed mysteriously undamaged.

"Kokoa!" Tsukune exclaimed, surprised that he had done such unintended damage. "It's fine Tsukune," Moka said calmly, "you didn't hurt her. Well, not anymore than I used to in our sparing matches back home, but I think we should begin discussing your vampirism immediately, since it seems you aren't adjusting so smoothly."

Moka pulled a chair out from the small center table. "Sit down Tsukune, I have a story to tell you."

"A story?"

"Yes Tsukune. It's a story told to all vampires when they are still small. It's a story both historically relevant, and synonymous with a vampire's pride. It helps young vampires, and those who are new to the fold, understand their power, and the distinction that exists between them and the rest of the world. It is about the life of an early vampire, of whom very little is known, but he was one of the earliest, quite likely among the first, of his kind."

Tsukune sat down across from Moka, Kokoa's unconscious state had slipped from his mind, and it had been replaced with fresh curiosity. Somehow the way Moka had spoke seemed reflective of the how seriously she took the nature of a vampire. She began to speak once more, and tell the tale of a man by name of Cassius Granger.

* * *

Little is known of the origins of the vampire. Even the eldest of the vampire race do not know for certain the nature of our origin. What little is known is that vampires were among the first monster species to come into existence, but how we came to be, is a question shrouded in mystery, but a short chapter of the life of an early vampire is known, and it best enraptures what the power and burden of a vampire is.

Cassius Granger is a name known by all vampires, Tsukune. When he was born, and where he was raised, are also very uncertain factors, but it has been deduced that he lived somewhere in Europe for his entire life. A place where the sun broke only fleetingly through the clouds, and where the trees thrived with life, but appeared to be singed by the flames of death. Leaves always a pale brown, or lackluster orange; made lively only by the unyielding breeze which would constantly bring the woods surrounding the village to life with the rustle of foliage, and the hushed whispers one hears when the breeze in the trees does grace their ears.

Cassius was born a normal, human, child, in this poor village. His parents knew no fortune beyond the company of family, and even at a young age, Cassius would assist his father with various tasks about the small world that was their home. The village was an impoverished place, plagued by its deep isolation. It was the daughter of no distant, wealthy province, the ally of no neighbor, and the destination of no traveler, and, so, the community got by on collaborative work by its residents, who would tend to a single set of crops, single barn of livestock, and the collective hopes of all those who wished to share in the meek nourishment which their labors did procure.

Cassius grew quickly, maturing at the pace set forth by the life that he lived, and by the reach of his adolescence, he was the strongest worker in his village. He had the strength to fail the mightiest of trees for the fires of his people and the wit to keep himself a figure of comradery to the other members of his village. All the while, he was still a human.

Of course, the tale of Cassius Granger goes far beyond the recounting of a human gifted with strength and intelligence, and though prosperous in his own right, Cassius was doubtlessly predestined to an even greater form of existence. Like all young men, he dreamed dreams of grandeur, romantic adventures beyond his home. He and his best friend Cain Daemon. The two would take what little time could be spared from the work which bore them both muscles and calluses, to fight with makeshift swords, hand carved from the trees which fueled the local fires. They dreamed what all men dream in the ignorance of youth; their dreams were of being the leaders of great battles. To be the first class swordsmen of some great crusade, and to joyously display their prowess in the heat of battle. Such dreams, in hindsight, seem petty and pitiful, but such is the nature of youthful dreams.

Everyday they would scrape together the time to fight one another, and everyday Cassius would strike the sword from Cain's hand, and throw his defeated friend to the ground, only to extend his arm in respect, and bring him back from the dirt in a laugh that showed the two were forever friends.

* * *

"Hahahaha! Cassius you've bested me yet again!" called Cain as he brushed the dirt from his pants, only to leave the already embedded shades of brown born from previous years of labor completely intact. "Fate is cruel to have given talent to someone confined to a life where such ability has no meaning. Oh that such gifts had been promised to me." He said with tones of humor in his voice.

Cassius chuckled slightly. "And just what good would it do you, that you should best me with your sword, and that I should be the one too to brush off the first of many layers of dirt from my clothes?"

"Cassius my friend, your skills would do this traveler wonders on his journey's. But with or without your aptitude for the blade, I shall carve my path in the lands beyond this village." Cain had spoke with a familiar voice, as if already recalling fondly the adventures to which he alluded.

"Again with your talk of escaping this place Cain? What was it last time, 'I'll leave this place, it's dreadfully unfaltering scenery, tiresome people, and absence of promise far behind never to look back, never yielding, not even an inch, of my footing in regret, as I walk away.'? My friend, surely you must realize that such dreams are not real to us beyond the taste of our romantic fancies and nightly slumbers?"

A despairing look grew upon Cain's face, so true had the words of his friend struck, but acceptance that life was devoid of such adventures was not so readily gained. Cain extended his arm, as per their daily custom, to his fallen friend, and Cain did ascend to meet his friend on the level, and they did stride back to the village together.

* * *

Cassius and Cain grew into adults, and in their many years, they had never let hold of their dreams slip. And even for all his nearly pessimistic realism, Cassius was still inspired day to day by his friends chatter of a greater life. So persuasive had Cain been, that for some time, they had been slowly amassing supplies from the village in secret, preparing to finally embark on the road to this life of adventure, and one chilly morning, the friends vanished without a trace, leaving the unfaltering scenery, tiresome people, and life barren of promises, far behind. Never did they look back. Never did they concede even a single step to the life they left behind.

Their travels brought them little of what they sought. For many weeks they traveled aimlessly in the wilderness, finding no princely provinces to call home. No great battles against foreign legions satisfied their lust for battle, but rather they were treated to the bitter flavor found in doing battle with wild creatures. Untamed beasts became a source of food when no other remained, and soon Cain succumbed to a violent parasite, which made him fall deathly ill.

Cassius was forced to tend to the health of his friend, and for many days he helped him to fight his ailment, until fortune brought them to a town. The place they had found was not a princely estate by any stretch, but held in the same light as the place of their childhoods, in was a vast kingdom. Cassius pleaded with the keeper of a local inn that they may take shelter from the elements which had tested them so; at first the elderly gentleman had seemed quite remote, but in seeing the condition of Cain, he offered his assistance, for a single week.

"A week is all it will take." the innkeeper had said in a raspy, well used voice, a ominous chuckle passing from his throat after he spoke.

Cassius had felt as though that strained cackle had masked some hidden knowledge, as though it foreshadowed events to come, and from the first night he spent sitting beside a sleeping Cain, his gut instinct would be confirmed.

The faint flame of a candle traveled up the stairs to their room late that night. Levitated by the hand of the elderly man, and flickering with a flutter as he made his way to the down the hall, to the room where his newest guest did reside. The inn was clearly worn and aged, the resonance of the creaking doorknob told a long living tale as it spun, and the old man entered the room, finding Cassius still awake, sitting in the chair beside Cain's bed, looking at his friend with a look of tired concern that knew no rest.

The creak of the door had stuck sharp to the ears of Cassius, but his exhausted state permitted his head to turn only ever so slightly, to peer into the faintly glowing face of his late night visitor. "Cassius was it?" whispered the illuminated intruder in such a voice that one could not discern it for a whisper or a cry. A sleepy but confident "Yes." was the reply which seeped out from the darkness. "Follow me lad, I'd like to discuss your friends condition, among other things, with you." With those words the man turned from the room, walking away with a stride that did not adequately reflect the age of his face, which, Cassius was only just realizing, had shown a touch more youth just then than it had before.

"Your friend won't get any better with you sitting there will he?" murmured the old man prompting Cassius from his chair, who followed with mild haste, wondering if his hope in the old man's knowledge would prove fruitful. And wondering if the strange feeling about the man should permit him to be distrusted.

The two walked down into the small lobby of the building, and the man placed the candlestick on the table, sitting in a nearby chair, and motioning that Cassius should do the same. After a few moments, the old man spoke.

"Son," he started, "have you ever heard the stories of the fantastic creatures of the night?"

"You'd be surprised the creatures one finds about in the night," replied Cassius, "care to be a bit more specific?"

"Haha, you're blunt boy, I like that. Fine, I shall narrow down the possibilities for you. Ever heard of anything called a vampire?"

Cassius couldn't help but notice the fond smile that had spread across the mans face as he said the word vampire. "No." he responded. "I've never heard of anything by that name, but what does that matter? I believe you said we could discuss my friend's health?"

"That's exactly what I am discussing boy. Just sit and listen and you may just learn something. You see, a vampire is a unique creature. For the most part, it looks very much human, and it is even capable of concealing the suspicious features of it's true appearance. But they are also very different from normal people, because they posses unimaginable power. One which may interest you greatly as a matter of fact. You see, these creatures have remarkably powerful immune systems. They never get sick. They heal very, very quickly, and they certainly could never be done in by something as pitiful as a parasite."

Cassius perked up a bit at this, but his spirits soon dropped. "How is that of any use to Cain? He's not a vampire."

"It's really quite simple young man, to become a vampire. I should know, I've been one for many years. Haha, I only wish I had been given such powers in my prime, when I was around you're age."

"Why is that?" Cassius asked with curiosity.

"No real reason, just would have been enjoyable in my youth I suppose." said the man looking away casually.

"But, what if Cain does not want to become a vampire?" Cassius began, "We cannot merely ask his consent, he's too weak to respond."

"Well I should think that he would be more than accepting if his dearest friend were to undergo the transformation with him." replied the old man, not returning his gaze to Cassius, so as to mask the twinkle in his eye.

The two continued to talk for some time. Little was said about the nature of change that would be experienced, but the very thought that vampirism could save Cain was enough to sell Cassius. Such lack of consideration is the foolishness of youth. It was quickly settled, Cassius was to rest that night beside Cain, and in the over the next few days, the process of ascension would take place. And so, Cassius returned to his room, awaiting the fangs that would be their salvation.

* * *

Cassius and Cain were reborn three days later. In their new lives, they were stronger, faster, and more agile. They found their minds making connections easier, and that the things around them made more sense. They're eyes shone red, vibrant and piercing, but only during the evenings, when they would stay up late through the night with the old inn keeper. The man was an enigma. He never shared his true name, merely asked that they called him Shadowe, never ate anything, and it was unclear from where he was procuring a source of blood, but still, he was a fast growing friend.

Shadowe had taught them about vampires. Though little which could be taught could not be learned quite easily. They had indomitable mental and physical prowess, people skills that were, by no stretch of the word, seductive. But what he taught them first, were the rules of the vampires. The early code, which, to the largest degree, is still followed today, the very tenets of their kind.

The first rule was simple. Do not feed on the dead. To do so was to disgrace the pride of the noble vampires, and to show contempt for lesser creatures. A vampire was free to put lesser beings in their place, even to enslave them, but never to dishonor them beyond the grave.

The second rule was slightly more difficult to follow, but neither Cassius nor Cain held any, large objections to it. Do not consort with anything less than a vampire. Relationships of romance, or even of simple lust were not permitted under the vampire code. The pride of the vampires would never allow breeding or any sort of relationship that went beyond friendly to exist with lesser beings. Even close friendships were often frowned upon.

Another rule, which the old inn keep seemed to stress greatly, was to never create a ghoul. He went into no great detail about the subject, but he did say that if either of them ever did bring such a creature into existence, they would have to kill it, or they would be killed.

The last rule that was mentioned was another simple one, but it so greatly reflected the seemingly arrogant pride of a vampire. Never accept help from a lesser species, to do so is to dishonor the gifts you have already been given to a vampire. You could accept the assistance of one of your own, and you were permitted to extend your services to them, but nothing else was deemed passable. To Cassius and Cain, two so fresh faced kin of the night, such restrictions seemed irrational, but they accepted this tenet as they did all others, it was the least they could do to show their respect and gratitude for the gifts they had been given.

In the days they spent outside the inn, both friends had found steady work. Cain worked in, what his manager called "customer relations" at a nearby tavern, handling the more unruly clientele, while Cassius would exhibit his physical prowess with various tasks given by local farms. Getting such jobs became easy for a man whose legendary strength could have thrown a steer the way a steer could throw a man.

And, as always, they would devote hours of their free time to playing soldier with their new, steel swords.

Once every few weeks, a goat or a pig would escape from the farm. None of them were ever found, but the farmers in charge of the livestock were forced to presume that the animals simply ran into the wilderness. Whatever the case, none of the missing animals were ever found.

For many month the two lived contently in the village. Working frequently, still living in the inn, enjoying the company of the mysterious Shadowe, drinking a round every so often at the bar, and fighting in the woods. But of course, they soon began to plot moving on once more, off to seek a life greater than the one before. Sadly, the two would never move on.

It was about the third month of their stay that something finally brought an end to their prosperity, and halted any future travels. Late one night, Cassius was off to embezzle another source of nourishment from the farm, and Cain was just getting of his shift at the tavern. It was the setting for the act that would halt their adventures.

Cassius returned down the path to the farm, and as the village grew from a figure at the base of a steep, lanky hill to a familiar vision of home and neighbors, a growing sense of dread and urgency gripped him. At the center of the town he saw a large congregation of people, gathered noisily about a single point. The focal point of the scene, a man bound to a pole, with a cross tied to his chest, resting near his heart, and his throat slit. And s wall of grief struck Cassius, as he looked into the lifeless eyes, of Cain.

He rushed away from the crowd. He was headed in the direction of the person whom always seemed to knowing the goings on about the town, and one of the few towns people with whom he was well acquainted. Cassius was running for Shadowe. He burst through the door of the inn frantically, disheartened not to see the old inn keeper there. A man whom he had never seen before noticed his wild looks, and was quick to respond.

"Excuse me sir, is there something I can help you with? I am the new owner of this inn."

A perplexed look swept of the already distraught face of Cassius. "What do you mean, new owner? What happened to the previous owner?"

"Oh, that man. Well he sold me the inn earlier today, said he didn't want to stay in town any longer. Something about not wanting the friend of someone to come after him. I can see why he would be worried, denouncing a vampire is not something one does lightly. To be honest, I didn't even know that they existed."

Realization set in with those words. The old man had betrayed them. Cain was dead. Cassius was alone. Their lives of eternal promise and adventure together had come to an end.

* * *

"And that's where the story ends Tsukune." Moka said, leaning back in her chair, relaxing in the aftermath of the tale.

"Not much of a children's story is it?" Tsukune asked, clearly unhappy with the story's finish.

"No. Haha, it wasn't exactly the warmest bedtime story that my parents ever told me, but as I got older, I realized that it tells a great deal about vampires. The story wasn't really about the strength of Cassius or Cain, it was about all the more subtle things about vampires. The way they can care deeply, but rarely associate with other, the way they can so readily charm others, and the way they can be as cold and deceptive as any human, no matter how superior they think themselves. These lessons are important to learn, so that we can lead pure lives, even as vampires, rather than lead the life of someone such as Shadowe. The true strength of a vampire comes from being wise, and not abusing our powers, and that, Tsukune, is what I meant to teach you. Now let's move along, dusk is already setting and we still haven't gotten Belmond back to the chairman."

The two arrived at the chairman's office only a little while later, and were greeted by a frantic Ruby, who was unsurprisingly frustrated with their "borrowing" of Belmond. But with the return of the whip, things about the office seemed to assume a peaceful state. Before the pair could leave, the chairman himself entered the room, bidding good evening to them both.

"Ah, Ms. Akashiya, Mr. Aono, been keeping busy?"

Tsukune blushed at the thought of even mentioning what they had been up to, while Moka simply responded, "Yes sir, my other self was just informing Tsukune about vampires."

"Hehe, the story of Cassius Granger no doubt." The chairman responded knowingly, "Ah, I see we'll be needing to fetch a Rosario for you Mr. Aono. I think I can have one ready towards the end of the break, perhaps a little longer, I ask that you make due until then."

"I will sir." Tsukune responded, "God evening to you. Good night Ruby-san."

"Good night." came their simultaneous response. "Sleep tight Mr. Aono, Ms. Akashiya." added the chairman, turning his head ever so slightly, as if to hide the familiar twinkle in his eye.


	12. Growth

December 21st

Today was mostly normal. Not many things happened. A few reports for the chairman. Nothing major, just keeping profile on the usual school matters. Without the students around a lot less work is being created for me, mostly I've been compiling student information, updating, reorganizing, that sort of thing. It's kinda boring, but I guess I'll just have to get by until things heat up again around here.

I guess I should be grateful. Yokai academy is _never _this calm.

Still, today wasn't entirely mundane. No actually today one of the most dramatic things I had ever seen happened. I… I didn't know how to react at first, so I simply didn't react. I pretended not to see it. That was easier; that was best I think, but I don't know. Maybe I should have made a fuss. Maybe I should have thrown the papers off of my desk. Maybe I should have flown into a rage when she so nonchalantly handed me the whip. Maybe I should have screamed at her, asking her how she could be so deceptive. I should have used Belmond to beat her as I asked how she could toy with his emotions. How could she play his affection against him and turn him into something he wasn't? Surely it was her deception that caused him to willingly accept such a huge change. It had to be…

But then, he does love her. And they have been together lately. But was it really what he had wanted? Maybe – it certainly isn't as impossible as I want to believe. Maybe it's just jealousy that's making me think so harshly of Moka. She can be deceptive, all vampires can, but she isn't what I would call wicked. I've always envied her for being so close with Tsukune, but I don't know, I guess seeing him… seeing him as a vampire, it must have made everything sink in. He just belongs to Moka. I guess undergoing the transformation to a vampire signifies that they were meant to be.

But still they're so young. I'm not much older, but in the time I have been here I've learned that some things shouldn't be taken lightly, and this may be one of them. As a vampire, Tsukune will live forever, and if he can have a long, happy life, then everyone, including me, would be happy. But if for some reason his life takes a dramatic turn, he could be stuck with it forever. I don't really want to think about it, but young love is so reckless, especially in high school romances. Still Tsukune and Moka seem different; they seem much more adult about love than a lot of the other students I've seen. It doesn't seem likely anything could go wrong, but still, to forever tie yourself to someone like that, when you're only sixteen, I don't know if it's smart.

Part of me wishes they had waited, so that things could seem more stable, but I think I understand. With the dream demon hunting Tsukune, Moka must have gotten desperate to keep him safe. That alone might have seemed to justify turning Tsukune into one of her kind. Still, I wish that this could have been put off. But then maybe I really only wanted to cling to the idea that Tsukune and I could have been together a little longer. Deep down, I don't think I ever really wanted to be his and his alone, but he has been very dear to me. He was the first human to show me compassion or caring, and I guess my love was just, just something like a repayment. Still, for a while, it would have been nice to be his. Maybe a girlfriend. Maybe a lover, no definitely a lover, but not a partner or a wife.

They've had to undergo a lot for as young as they are. The headmaster has told me that they are significant. I have been forbidden to tell anyone about the information which he has shared with me, even writing it down would be hazardous as he described. But the thought that all this has happened, it's so troublesome. They can't even have a moment to sit back and enjoy their love.

Or have they had that moment? They couldn't possibly have. Oh, I shouldn't wonder about that. But this time there can be mistaken, I _am _jealous of that. And they had Belmond all afternoon! I wonder if, ARGH Moka is SO lucky.

But I guess all I can do is adjust to the new Tsukune. He'll still be the same sweet person, just stronger, and faster, and probably a little smarter, but the same at heart. He didn't appear very different physically, but I suppose his features haven't set in yet, that come over a few days I think, I'm not sure how it works for vampires who were humans and turned midlife. I will miss those chocolate brown eyes – but they received a nice replacement. Those new crimson eyes – they're very sexy, I like them, but I'll still miss the innocence that his old eyes used to reflect. Haha, I guess it isn't much different than watching a child grow up, they can't stay perfectly sweet forever.

I know he'll be happy, seeing how he'll be able to better defend his friends now. Our safety was always his greatest concern. It feels appropriate that this happened in a way, I guess I'm already adjusting to it. Besides he'll always be the same Tsukune to me.

Ruby finished writing in her diary, and clasped it shut. The book was rather ironic actually, greatly resembling the usual image associated with a grimier. The cover was the typical, worn shade of dust and brown that was to be expected, and the spine of the book reflected its use. I had grown supple, bent, easily turned, not like a new book, which creaks as it opens, in which the pages turn themselves, pulled along by the tension of the young books spine. The image of vines was drawn about the covers edges. Mixed with the brown hue of the diary the vines looked dead, but beautifully so, only adding personality to the book. Along a small line, centered toward the higher end of the diary, there was a fine line, along which the name Ruby was written in refined cursive handwriting which said that the owner wrote often. Not like so many other petty journal keepers, who wrote only when convenient.

The lock was a simple clasp that reached around from the back of the diary at the end of which a skull lay embedded. Ruby inserted the key into the mouth of the skull, and with a quick turn, a faint click sounded, and the diary was locked. With a smile of newly attained understanding and acceptance, Ruby rested the diary in her desk, and set off for bed.

* * *

Kokoa was curled up in her sister's bed. Her head still hurt, but this was not her most serious concern. Had she really seen a half naked Tsukune in her sister's room? Was something like that possible, or had the blow to her head merely tampered with her memory?

Kokoa tried to replay the whole ordeal in her head. "I was in such a fury," she thought, "I didn't notice anything except _him_, standing there. More importantly how is it that he, of all people, was able to beat me!"

The event rolled through her mind like a somewhat grainy film. She had screamed at him, and tried to attack him, but he had avoided her. "Worm." She thought to herself. He had been cornered in the bathroom, and she had been preparing to finally crush him, but at that moment something had happened. Something must have allowed him to get the upper hand.

"What happened?" Kokoa whispered, staring up at the ceiling. She strained her eyes as if she was watching intently as the events unfolded. "I remember seeing something strange, before being knocked out, something that showed that he had the advantage. She pictured his face; it had that stupid look of fear on it. Quivering lips. Widened nostrils. Mouth agape. Eyes full of shock.

"His eyes, something about that look he was giving me. He looked scared at first, but the look in his eyes, I remember seeing it harden. They looked confident, strong even." Kokoa felt a little strain in her heart, even as she recalled it, she felt a strange, sickening fear that had flared in her when he had given her that look. "When I looked into his eyes, I could feel a strange energy."

"No way." She whispered. She now found that his entire, uncensored face shone in her memory. Right before he hand punched her, his entire face had shifted. He shut his mouth, tilted his head forward, squared his jaw, and stared strait on toward her. In her mind, Kokoa saw his face in black and white, staring sternly back at her, but one feature about that face had been especially apparent. His eyes – they were glowing red, a deep blood red. A dangerous red, a vampire's red.

"Onee-chan." She whispered. "She turned him into a vampire." The sound of a key turned in the door's lock, and the door swung open, revealing Tsukune standing with Moka just behind him. "Oh great," Kokoa thought to herself, "he has a key."

Kokoa turned away from the two, looking at her reflect in the mirror at the opposite end of the room, not knowing what to say, or wanting to say it. "Kokoa…" Moka started out timidly, but pausing, uncertain of what to say. After a Moment, Kokoa began to mutter something just loud enough for the two to hear. "So is Tsukune your – mate, onee-chan? I don't understand it, how could you have such a pitiful man to call your own. Tsukune Aono, a weak human, the mate of a proud vampire, I don't see it."

Moka seemed a little bothered hearing Tsukune being slandered, but her retort still sounding teetering and uncertain. "But Kokoa, Tsukune was a human, but not now, he's a vampire, he's no different than you or me!"

"Explain that to father." Kokoa said snidely, "you know he would only permit his 'darling little Moka' to marry someone noble and elite, no one else could ever dream to join our family. There is no way he would approve of _this_ pairing. Tsukune may be a vampire now, but in his heart he is still a weak, pathetic, sensitive, gutless, insignificant piece of human…"

"Stop it!" Moka screamed at the top of her lungs interrupt. "Don't you ever talk about my Tsukune like that! I know you've never approved of him but I won't let you stand here and insult him. Tsukune is my mate, so get used to him!"

Tsukune looked over toward Moka, he had never seen her burst out like that, at least not while the Rosario was hooked around her neck. The power she exerted was scary, in a very unique way, and almost as opposing. Kokoa looked as though somebody had slapped her across the face, at first it was uncertain whether or not she would fly into a rage, but after a moment, she glared down at the floor, and walked out of the room without a word.

With a little more composure, Moka sat down on her bed, still feeling a stinging frustration with Kokoa. She gave Tsukune a look that seemed somewhat apologetic, but her concerns melted away when he smiled back at her. "Thank you for defending me Moka-chan." he said, sitting down and kissing her on the cheek. Moka turned to Tsukune, smiling, as she made eye contact, lowering her head in a bashful giggle. "What is it Moka-chan?" Tsukune asked in amusement.

"Your eyes," she started, "they're really pretty." Tsukune blushed, "Glad to see you like them Moka-chan. But, all that's changed is my eyes, when your Rosario is removed your hair changes to, will the same thing happen to me?"

Moka gave a little hum that said yes. "It may take a little time before your appearance changes completely, but since you're nearly an adult already it won't take very long until you're hair and aura start changing too. I'm curious how you'll look when it's all done actually."

"Hopefully you'll still like it."

She smiled. "I wouldn't worry about that."

Moka and Tsukune sat down for supper. Moka had whipped up some rice in a hurry. It was unbelievable how quickly the day had gone, but not enough time remained to make anything extravagant for dinner. Still, it all came down to quality over quantity, and the herbal water Moka used in her cooking made for excellent rice, and Tsukune was more than grateful for the chance to eat anything Moka had cooked. Though he didn't exactly have an affinity toward her pumpkin pie, go figure.

The meal was short lived, but satisfying. As they stacked the dishes Tsukune felt a sensation that he had not felt in ages; one that would once have brought him comfort, but now left an uneasy weighted felling in his stomach, somewhat like trying to keep down a meal while sick. It was a felling of routine normalcy. It seemed stacking his dishes with Moka, he felt as if they had left Yokai academy, and settled down somewhere in the suburbs, in a small home as husband and wife, a world away from the old days. The feeling left a strange desire to return to the hustle of day to day life, when school was still in session. Tsukune closed his eyes, and thought to himself with a small smile. The strife of life at the academy, it has become his norm, and now he smiles, hoping that the days of what was once unreal dangers and uncertainty, would soon return. Still, his spirits were not hampered, the idea that things had slowed down brought no discomfort, only the urge for a little more excitement, but all at the same time there was a serene happiness to be had alone with the one you love. Calm evenings at home were almost as nice.

"Tsukune," Moka called from the other room "I'm starting the shower; want to hop in with me before we settle down for the evening?"

Well, maybe quite evenings at home had their own adventures.

* * *

Finally the pair were out for the night, snuggling together under Moka's sheets once more, sleeping away another night of there vacation. A carelessness had been about them lately, despite the impending dangers, and things had felt quite easy going. Even with the radical changes that had so recently occurred, they had managed to somehow drift off to sleep without any thoughts of what could happen. They were taking a risk, but then, even if they had held their guard, there was little, maybe nothing, they could actually do.

The familiar rustle of the trees passed just outside the window, fainter than usual, the storms had seemed to be subsiding lately. In some places snow had given way to sleet, it began to seem that the veil of foreboding white powder covering the academy yielded to some unseen force. Perhaps the natural order swayed to grab their attention, so few eyes had been on its majesty as of late, and somehow the idea that nature would shift to bring about a wealth of attention seemed almost believable. Or perhaps at heart, nature is something fickle, so easily subjected to change, even now, out from the ice and slush, thick vines grew, even know, seeming to creep up, climbing the pathways of the academy.

They crept through the grass, up the trunks of frozen trees, gripping tightly about their bark, peeling it up and burrowing inside away from the icy wind. Out from the cracks in the sidewalk, thin hairline growths stemmed, spreading and overtaking the pathway, cracking the cement as they travel toward the dormitories. Reaching the fork in the road the vines split, one driving east, the other west. Touching upon the steps to the dorms, they creep further still, along the length of the building, slipping into the walls, through the pipes, and cracking the windows. Invasively they spread through the halls, eating away at the building.

The air outside blew across the bedroom, with a shiver, Moka cracked her eyes. "Is the window open?" she said in a lazy murmur. As her vision returned, Moka let out a gasp and turned to wake Tsukune. "Tsukune," she started, "Tsukune the room, something strange is happening!"

"Moka-chan?" Tsukune started groggily as she shook him awake. He needed no response, almost immediately he took notice to the thick vines already beginning to climb the wall. "W-what's going on? What are these vines?" The damage was beginning to become very apparent, the massive plant had done extensive damage to the walls and floor. Two-by-fours in the walls were cracked, pipes had burst, and now heavy support were becoming entangled in the growth. "We have to leave!" Tsukune yelled, ushering Moka out of the room.

Leading the way Tsukune rushed down the hall trying heading for the stairs. "We have to get to Kokoa's room!" he yelled over the sound of pieces of the roof falling down around him. "I'm sure she's awake, but we need to make sure she's alright!"

"Tsukune, there's no need to do that! Kokoa can't be in any danger." Tsukune, , looking confused, replied, "Why is that? The building is collapsing! Even we are all vampires, this is still a dangerous place to be."

"That's not what I mean Tsukune." Moka gestured her hand, a red glow emanating from here finger. "This isn't real." Not until now had he noticed the red light, but as it met his eyes, a sense of enlightenment struck Tsukune. "Then why am I able to tell this from the real world? If it were a dream why would the demon allow me to figure it out?"

"It doesn't matter," Moka replied frantically forcing Tsukune further down the hall, "you're still in danger!" They took the stairs to the ground floor two at time, trying to get out of the building while they could. The place didn't seem all that well constructed; already old its decrepit staircase was cracking and falling away almost as fast as they descended them. If the door had been blocked by rumble, it wouldn't have mattered, a number of large holes had developed in the walls that would have permitted easy access. The two made rapid headway to the door, clearing it before the structure could give way.

Moving with lesser haste, Moka and Tsukune began to put distance between themselves and the building. The sight of the rest of the campus was even more stunning than that of the dorm. Up ahead the school could be seen, though not in its entirety. With a thunderous, rushing sort of crack, a large section of the eastern wing crumbled to the ground. All around the usual tress and plants were being strangled by newer ones. Large blooming flower buds of all colors had sprouted from some of them, subduing beautiful for the damage they had done to the school and the woods.

"So what do we do now?" Tsukune asked aloud. "The last time this happened I was only able to wake up when I beat the demon out of my dream, but this time, there's no clear goal. I still don't even understand how it is your in my dream as well Moka-chan. You couldn't be a product of the dream or you wouldn't have told me this wasn't real, so I'm confused."

Moka began to speak, "Don't you remember Tsukune, vampires and their mates share dreams with each other, so I can be here even in this dream. I didn't explain before because the building…" Her voice began to trail off, she was now staring up into the sky. Ahead of them the vines had begun to grow straight up; atop them a creature appeared to be thrashing wildly about. Against the night sky it was impossible to distinguish what creature the vines had ensnared and only when it howled could they identify it as a wolf. All that could be done was to cast a piteous glare toward the creature as it struggled. The mesmerized glare of its audience broken only when the moonlight permitted them to see a leg stripped from the beasts body, revealing nothing but pure white blood spattered bone beneath; from there it was no longer possible to look.

"We can't stand still and end up like that." Tsukune said through eyes strained from uncertainty. "We have to figure out how to wake up. Moka, do you remember anything from when the headmaster brought me back the first time? Maybe we won't have to go looking for a fight to get out of here."

"Umm," she began reflectively, "I remember he drew a complex looking circle on his hand, then he placed it on your chest. For a while he stood there, but it didn't seem like he was really _there_. I think he went into your dream or something, all I know is that later you came back to me."

Tsukune felt his heart drop. There had not been anything about Moka's story that hinted toward a possible solution. from experience the only way to overcome these nightmares, other than some strange exorcism, was to confront them at there source. But just where was the enemy? Tsukune stood their for a few silent moments pondering the situation. "I know that he has to manifest somehow, but what form would he take? Last time he was only a shadowy silhouette." Suddenly, in a near shout, he exclaimed, "It must be the vines!"

"You mean, that's the enemy, the vines?' Moka answered, unsure of his meaning. "How can we fight them? They're all over, fighting them would be impossible. Wait!" Moka spoke with her voice higher now, " remember the witch's ranch? When we were attacked there last year the enemy was similar to this, and we were just as outnumbered. Back then all we had to do was deal with the one controlling them."

"So we need to trace them to their source?" Tsukune replied. "And then defeat the demon, then we could wake up? It could work. Well it's the only idea we've got, but where should we go? Where ever the vines lead I suppose."

Moka pointed to the school, "The academy is covered in more vines than anything, it looks like a giant plant, I think we should go there." She hadn't spoke with much confidence, but then showing enthusiasm at that prospect seemed very unlikely. Tsukune gave a nod in agreement, and they made there way up the path toward the school. All through the woods there sounded loud rustling and howls and squeals and crashes and booms, but never once was there a sight or feel or taste of danger; nothing beyond an echo ever reached them. Even as they reached the academy, the path still progressed unimpeded. It was not by luck they had come so far.

The campus was no longer standing. On the contrary, any uninformed onlooker would not know that there had ever been a campus here, nor would they ever wonder for they would be to frozen upon the scene which was there. The enormous section of the plant could only be described as the heart. A massive, pulsating thing from which the vines stemmed like veins. The mass of vegetation was throbbing, actually moving as if with a pulse, and in its rhythmic beat, a call beyond understanding could be heard. At its base, a very large flower, easily the size a classroom, had grown. A dark fuchsia shade, with a man sitting on a thick petal.

The figure rose up and walked, vines streaming out from his back into the plant from which he came. He laughed lightly. "Forgive me, this entrance may seem extravagant, but so given am I to my work I could not help but play with my prey." Tsukune took a step ahead, giving fast shifting looks to ensure Moka remained behind him. "He said he would make Moka his target" Tsukune thought, " I can't let him near her!"

The figure stopped and began to speak. "Hahaha. A faithful mate aren't you Mr. Aono?" At least I shall be able to vouch for your bravery when all is done and said, but really, walking right up to your enemy like this, I can hardly speak of your tact."

Tsukune looked back with anger, scowling and bracing to fight if this man drew any closer. "You leave Moka alone!" he cried forcefully. "I remember your little threat, any closer to her and I will stop you!"

The man grinned widely. In the moonlight Tsukune was able to discern his face from the darkness. He had a thin face, coupled with slender, eyes and a short sharp nose. His jaw squared away well, but as his grin grew these otherwise well rounded appearance seemed more deranged. Though more threatening, it was also a more fitting look. "Again, you seem very limited in your understanding of my purpose. I do not play petty games of revenge Aono, my aim has been consistent from the very start, and I aimed at you."

"I nearly succeeded in killing you during our first encounter. You couldn't imagine my excitement, the dramatic finish to my personal dramatic piece. But it was cut short wasn't it? My plans ere halted quite suddenly by the chairman. I'm not so ill willed that I would allow that instance of defeat to cease my assault though. I learned that direct confrontation was the only way to handle you; kill you quickly, before you are rescued. Of course, my second attempt was even less successful, though oh so much more disgraceful." Now a cold fury had taken place, a fire in his already unsettling eyes. "For as long as there have been demons who intrude upon those lost in sleep, so have there been charms to ward us off. How irksome that you were able to attain one. Still, I remained confident that I could succeed. All I had to do was ensure that you were no longer wearing that ring of yours.

Tsukune growled in anger. "So that's why you threatened Moka! To get me to remove my ring!"

"Surprisingly perceptive Aono, I'm impressed. Still, I had not accounted for what I see before me now! A pair of vampires, each within the other dreams, able to fight side by side. It doesn't matter, that ring of yours can only protect its owner, and that is not you. I can handle this easily, the higher ups at Fairy Tale will be quite pleased.

A muddled mix of anger and shock was now on Tsukune's face. "So you're an assassin sent by fairy tale?" he questioned. "Then why are you only trying to kill me? I'm not the only one whose interfered with your plans, so why is it you say you're only here for me?"

"I must say, I hadn't expected you would be so questioning, but the answer is simple. The reason I hunt you, and the reason I kill for Fairy Tale is one and the same, I enjoy it!" The demonic figure was now beginning to scream his words. "I don't care about anything but killing lower breeds! Breaking their legs, tearing off their arms, severing there heads, watching them bleed, watching them suffer. I sustain myself purely on anguish, but I am not without my morals. I receive no delight from killing high ranking monsters such as myself. I kill only the trash! Trash such as yourself! Of all beings, humans are the most entertaining to kill!"

Moka, in a shivering voice, yelled out, "But Tsukune's not human, he's like me now, you won't kill noble monsters, well vampires are some of the mightiest monsters there are, how can you still kill Tsukune?" A tear ran down her check, one of distraught at the thought of Tsukune falling into harm.

The figure replied, still screaming with the excitement and exhilaration brought out by the thought of a fresh slaughter. "It's really quite simple! To me there is no middle ground between the elite and the filth which they may rightfully crush! No transformation will ever change the true depths of a person! Those born as scum can never evolve to anything more, even by attaining strength, ultimately you remain the same!"

The best flashed his teeth, razor sharp, with a grin. "No more talking! I've had enough of this mindless prattle! I came here with the intent to kill you Aono Tsukune, and that's what I'm going to do!"

A wave of vines came careening down toward them. The demented demonic silhouette descending with force his fist toward Tsukune. A swift side step kept the blow from landing, and with full force Tsukune brought his knee into his enemies ribs, hurling him away.

"You really thought attacking head on like that would work!" Tsukune cried, punctuating his words with a jaw cracking blow to the face. "You may be able to create illusions, but you can't match me in a fight! Again Tsukune struck, this time sharply downward, knocking his opponent into the cracking ground. Before another blow could be struck, a series of vines tangled around Tsukune, who had to thrash in an effort to escape them, but they were to thick to overcome easily.

"I don't have to exceed you in strength Aono. I one this fight before you landed your first hit." He pointed his finger upward.

"Moka-chan!" Tsukune screamed. The demon had pointed to her, and the m=any vines entangling her, threatening to kill her at any time. "I thought you were going to leave her alone!" he screamed, consumed by rage. "This fight was supposed to be between us!"

"I have no intention to kill her. But I am not a fool, if you step out of line and continue to thrash like that, I may just change my mind!"

Tsukune stopped. Slackening his body, he complied, and the vines overtook him. "I can't let anything happen to her." He whispered with an empty look. With a cackle the demon responded, "Just as I thought." Summoning a barbed vine to his sign, he sent the a fatal attack straight toward Tsukune's heart. As his vision blackened, he could hear Moka crying out to him. The sound of her anguish piercing his heart more sharply than could any vine.

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up damn it!" Tsukune opened his eyes. "Damn you're a heavy sleeper kid. I know you just went through a lot, but don't worry. You're back in your room. The girl you love is safe, her ring does not glow and this is not a dream."

"W-who are you?" Tsukune muttered, still shaking from the dream.

"It doesn't matter, you'll find out latter. For now, wake up Moka, and follow me. We need to talk."

* * *

And that wraps up this chapter. As usual I do apologize for the time between updates, but it's starting to become irritatingly commonplace by now isn't it? I won't make promises I can't keep about how soon I'll update, but hopefully I can break this cycle soon. Hope you found this chapter interesting, and in case you were wondering, yes, the story is starting to go somewhere, but more of that in my next release.


	13. Abomination

The stranger stepped out of the room, leaving Tsukune sitting in the dark. Anxious to learn what was happening he turned and gave Moka a light shake, prompting her to stir. "Tsukune?" she murmured quietly before sitting bolt upright.

"Tsukune!" Moka repeated, much louder than before. For a moment, her expression was unreadable, but in the next instant her teeth clenched and she narrowed her eyes to a glare. Crack! Tsukune found himself slammed against the floor, propelled from the bed by Moka's open palm. "What the hell were you thinking?" she demanded hovering over him as he rubbed his cheek. "You idiot! Did you think it was heroic, that you were protecting me?"

Tsukune tried to respond. "Moka I…"

"You what?" she demanded. "You didn't want me to get hurt? Nothing could hurt me more than what almost happened! I can't believe…"

Suddenly there was a loud knocking a the door, followed by a voice. "Hurry up in there! We have to get going right now, there isn't any time to waste horsing around. I want both of you out here in the next five minutes."

"Who was that?" Moka inquired, turning away from Tsukune to her nightstand.

"I don't know," Tsukune answered flatly, "but he woke us up. Without him I would have wound up…" Tsukune stopped speaking there, knowing better than to finish his sentence. "Anyway, he seems to have something urgent to discuss with us. Considering he knew how to pull us out of those possessed dreams he may be worth listening to."

Tsukune got up from the floor and both of them proceeded to get dressed silently. A few minutes later they exited the dorm room and saw a man leaning impatiently on the opposite rail. "Good, you're dressed." he said, adjusting his posture and walking closer. "The two of you have been experiencing attacks such as the one from tonight regularly, correct?"

"That's right," Moka answered, cocking an eyebrow, "but, um, how do you know about that?" It was clear from her questioning that she was not prepared to trust a stranger out of the blue. Of course, this came as no surprise to the man, who expected anyone in their situation would be cautious.

"Right, I suppose I should clear that up." he answered. "My name is Katahito Awaikawa, I'm a specialist in Youkai Stratification Studies, a field concerned with the background and behavior of modern monsters; I was asked here by your schools headmaster to assist in a situation regarding a Somnequam. Does that clear things up for you?"

Katahito's words sparked their curiosity. "So," began Tsukune, "so you have information about the dream demon? Maybe something that we can use against it?"

Seeing the excitement on Tsukune's face, Katahito smirked. "That's exactly what I'm saying. In fact, if you two follow me we may be able to resolve this issue as early as tonight."

"T-Tonight!" Moka and Tsukune cried in unison.

"That's right, but we're wasting time. We can't wait around here, our window of opportunity is very small. Just hurry up and keep after me." His feet matching his hurried tone, he bolted down the hall as Tsukune and Moka quickly managed to keep pace.

The trio ran down the path from the dorms at full clip, turning away from the school and down the path leading to the campus's main entrance. It seemed that wherever they were headed was outside the academy, a fact which was only confirmed as a set of headlights appeared a ways past the final thicket of trees surrounding the dirt road. The familiar bus that navigated the youkai realm came into view, and moments later all three boarded. "Of to get into more trouble son?" the driver inquired with a smirk seeing Tsukune climb up. "So, where will you be headed?"

Tsukune flashed a curious expression at Katahito, who in turn responded, "Just start driving down the tunnel, I'll give you our destination as soon as I find it." Somehow unfazed by his passenger's lack of preparedness, the driver pulled into the mysterious tunnel that bridged the monster and human worlds.

Katahito took a seat and shut his eyes, putting on a blank face. "So," began Moka, "you don't know where we're going? Then why was it so urgent that we hurry?"

Without changing his expression Katahito answered. "Few people know how to even begin killing a dream demon. Even to higher breeds of monster they are challenging opponents because they can take their foe to a world where their will is absolute, and even if an individual proves capable enough to handle such a creature in combat, they wake up with no idea where to find the physical body of the creature. However, these demons to have a weakness that allows them to be tracked. Whenever a dream demon is forcibly ejected from the host whom it has possessed it suffers an involuntary shock that will kill it, like when a human is torn off life support. Unfortunately, there is a way for them to preserve themselves. Hundreds of years ago a special device known as a Consilian Sigil was created; all that one of the dream demons has to do to use it is enter it the way they would a sleeping mind, and from that moment the sigil would belong to that demon and that demon alone. Once a demon has imprinted itself in one of these sigils it is safe from death should someone ever exorcise it from a dream, but this comes at a cost. In order to stabilize, the demon has to spend forty-rive minutes trapped inside the sigil before it can regain its strength and break free. During that window in which the demon is sealed, it is unable to regulate it youkai, and thus cannot hide itself from detection by others."

"Oh!" Moka exclaimed, "So it's vulnerable to detection as well as attack!"

"Exactly. All I have to do is find it's energy and we can hunt it down." Katahito's eyes suddenly flew open. "I've found it." he said triumphantly. Turning to the driver he instructed, "It's located in a mountain range a few hundred miles south of here. Exit the tunnel ahead and I'll direct you from there."

The driver smirked and spoke. "Interesting, you're the first human I've met that can sense youkai."

Moka and Tsukune both shot surprised looks in Katahito's direction. "You're human!" Tsukune yelled, "How can a human study monsters?" To which he responded, "This from the boy who studies _with monsters?" Tsukune could not deny, he had a point._

_After about twenty minutes and a drive up some rough terrain the bus came to halt and the doors pulled open. "I can't drive any further than this." the driver said, "The trees get too thick and the ground isn't level, you'll have to continue on foot._

_Katahito was the first of the bus. "This is fine," he said, "if we hurry we should get there in five or ten minutes, but don't dawdle, the longer that thing is allowed to rest the more power it will recover." Noting this, Moka and Tsukune rushed behind him as he ran uphill toward the target._

_Moka found herself wishing she had grabbed a thinker coat, the mountain top was covered in more snow than the academy campus, and she could feel it in the air. How the trees could recover from it was a mystery._

_After two or three minutes of travel the slope of the ground leveled off. Atop the mountain was a small, frozen body of water, and just beyond that, a cave. "Careful of the ice." Katahito warned, walking cautiously across. "As vampire's I doubt slipping would hurt you much, but if you fall through I can guarantee that you'll die."_

_Katahito raised a hand, beckoning the others stop at the entrance to the cave. "I don't have any light," he began, "but from what I've read on vampires you two should be able to see in there as clear as day, right?" Moka and Tsukune both nodded yes._

"_Um, wait," Moka interjected. "I need my seal to be removed before we enter the cave." Tsukune gave a swallow. It had crossed his mind during the trip that he would most likely have to remove Moka's Rosario, and given the outer Moka's response to his near self sacrifice he was in no hurry to see how the inner Moka would react. Sucking it up, Tsukune reached out and pulled the cross of its chain._

_In a flash of red light the silver haired Moka appeared; Tsukune eyed her nervously, anticipating a violent reaction. "What are you staring at Tsukune?" she said hotly. "Come on let's get moving before I decide to throw you into the frozen lake." With that she stormed ahead._

_Katahito turned to address Tsukune. "Kid, I don't know how you pissed you're girlfriend there off, but I hope you can see really well in this dark cave." And with that he to proceeded ahead, leaving a discouraged Tsukune to trail along behind him._

_Suddenly Moka's voice echoed from deeper in the cave. "I think I found it! There's something carved into the wall, and it's giving off a purple glow!" The rest of the group caught up and, on seeing the symbol Moka had found, Katahito gave satisfied smile. "This is definitely it." he said confidently. "An upside down triangle inscribed in a perfect circle, with the image of an eye in the center and a black onyx stone in the center, a perfect Consilian Sigil."_

"_So, what next?" Moka demanded. "Do we destroy the seal?"_

"_No." Katahito responded abruptly. "the demon has probably acquired enough energy that it would survive the shock, so all breaking it would accomplish is angering it, and an angry foe is also a dangerous one. The sigil works on the same principle that a dreaming mind does, so I can just force him out."_

_Katahito pressed his hand against the symbol, and it promptly turned from a deep purple to an intense white which illuminated the entire cave. Tsukune and Moka both were surprised to see he was not using an exorcism stone, even the headmaster, one of the three demon lords, could not accomplish this. For it to be done by an average person, and a human no less, was mind boggling._

"_Get ready." Katahito ordered. "It should be easy for the two of you to kill, but I need you to attack it immediately, if you hesitate for even a second it can still kill me." A final wave of light crawled slowly out from the sigil, and Katahito immediately back away. "Tsukune!" Moka spoke with authority, "Hurry and get outside the cave, it's too cramped, I'll throw the demon out into the open and you attack it!"_

_Tsukune obediently ran out toward the lake. A sickly black substance began to bleed out from the wall, gradually taking on the form of large man armed with a sword. "Look out!" warned Katahito, "I didn't expect it to have a chance to transform." _

_Moka simply chuckled, "I'm guessing that your studies never gave you the opportunity to see a vampire fight, this creature no longer presents any threat." With a sharp cry the demon put all its weight behind its sword, swinging it wildly at Moka, who caught the blade in her left hand. "Weakling." she said, sounding disappointed, as she ripped away his weapon and drove it to the hilt into the cave wall._

_The demon had no opportunity to react against her speed, and without the slightest reflex on its part was lifted by the throat and flung the entire length of the cave. As it flew rapidly out the entrance, Tsukune sunk a running right hook into its jaw, throwing across the lake and through the ice into the cold water._

_Moka and Katahito exited the cave and waited for the enemy to reappear - but some time passed and nothing happened. "Could it have been killed so easily?" Tsukune thought to himself, refusing to accept that a creature which had twice succeeded at pushing him to the edge of death could be brought down by one punch._

_Tsukune closed his eyes, hoping to sense any trace of his opponent, but none was found. "I should be able to detect this guy even if he's hiding his youkai." Tsukune thought silently. "Could it be that its weakened condition…"_

_A large black arm pierced through the ice. Tsukune, in mid thought, was caught off guard and barely managed to resist as the clawed hand tore into his leg and pulled down with all its might. Tsukune gave a mighty kick, so forceful that the ice was reduced to dust as the monster he pulled the monster straight through the ice's surface. The force of this movement caused the wicked arm to lose its grip. Tsukune spun around quickly, gaining speed and slamming his fist against the beast's chest, issue a loud crack from it as he went careening into a stone wall._

_The demon fell limp onto the ground, between that last punch and the resulting impact, it could no longer move to resist. Moka walked slowly over to it, looking down with disgust, and spoke. "Of all the insolent monsters I've fought, you are by far the most cretinous. A pathetic creature like you has no hope learning its place. For what you have done to my mate and I, there is no mercy."_

_Moka planted her foot firmly on the demon's face, and with one smooth step, ended its life._

_Katahito walked toward the demon, kneeling down to examine its body. Turning back to Moka and Tsukune he said, "You two go back to the bus, I need to examine the body more closely. Just sit tight for," he paused, his face contorting into a disgusted look as he considered how long this would take, "sit tight for about fifteen minutes, I'll get back shortly._

_Moka and Tsukune trotted of through the snow, aimed back toward the bus. The walk was quiet, but strangely comfortable. Feeling brave, Tsukune finally opened his mouth to speak to Moka. "Moka, I…"_

"_Wait Tsukune," she interrupted, "I know you're going to apologize for acting like such an idiot when that thing was about to kill me in our dream, but let's just forget about it. Seeing the thing responsible dead makes me feel like putting this whole thing behind us." Tsukune gave a large smile of relief. "Oh, and Tsukune, one last thing." Moka continued, closing in on him and pulling him into an embrace before biting down into his neck and drinking a generous amount of blood._

_In the panic over the sudden attack, Tsukune did not notice as Moka slipped her Rosario out from his back pocket, and as he rubbed his sore neck, she slipped it back on. Getting over the shock, Tsukune looked up and was greeted by the now pink haired Moka. "Come on Tsukune," she said, taking his hand, "all that blood my inner self drank is going to get you feeling a little light headed, you shouldn't stand in the cold."_

_Katahito stared, mouth agape and stifled breaths of disbelief sounding in his throat, down onto the abomination before him. Thinking something about the creature seemed different from the ones he had studied in the past he had chosen to cut into the creatures chest, in order to examine its anatomy more closely. What he found was the most disturbing thing he had encountered in all his dealings with monsters._

_Holding down the contents of his stomach with a swallow, Katahito final whispered his grim discovery to the air. "T-This can't be right. What can it mean? This heart does not belong to a demon - this is the heart of human."_


	14. Amalagamation

The last day of break approached after a spell of uninterrupted peace. Tomorrow youkai academy would once again flood with idle chatter, the bells would boom across the campus early in the morning, sleepy eyed students would sulk into class and everything would resume as if the past two weeks were only a pause to the year.

"The others will be back tomorrow." Tsukune said.

Moka chirped in, "I guess we'll all be going to class together again won't we?"

"Yeah," he replied slowly. He had made no mention of it to Moka, but for the last several days Tsukune pondered what would happen when the rest of his girls returned. A number of scenarios came to mind. In one Kurumu had actual succeeded in suffocating him in her chest. In another, he had revealed his engagement to Moka and Mizore chocked to death on her lollipop. Just last night he had dreamt that the others would walk in on a kiss between himself and Moka – the world blew up immediately afterward.

He turned to Moka. "Moka-chan, I've been thinking it over, and how are we going to tell everyone we're together? No matter how I play it out it seems to end badly." Tsukune paused, "No, horribly, it seems to end horribly. Catastrophic even."

Moka thought for a moment. "I guess I hadn't thought about it, I've been enjoying our time together and never stopped to consider how it would fit into our day-to-day lives. But," she jumped on his lap and kissed his cheek, "I guess I could tell them you're mine."

"I don't think we should tell them so bluntly." He replied

"We don't have to tell them at all, we could just act all lovey-dovey in front of them."

"Definitely not." Tsukune glanced over. "You look a little disappointed."

She giggled. "I am a little. I've spent about two years trying to win your heart over them, so I'm a little excited to tell them honestly."

Tsukune laughed, his partner's words had sounded quite uncharacteristic. Normally so sweet, it was hard to imagine Moka rubbing the other girls noses in it. It was nonetheless pleasant to see that she wanted to flaunt their relationship. Inner Moka's voice sounded from the rosario, "I think Tsukune's just worried the girls will get unruly. How about telling them with my rosario removed?"

"No way! That'll end in broken bones!"

"Just theirs." The cross chimed back.

"Moka-chan!"

"Tsukune, you can't expect to control this situation. I've stolen your heart and they have to accept it, but no woman would accept this sitting down."

"But I don't want everyone to fight!"

The pink haired Moka interrupted. "Tsukune, I think my other self is right. If the situation were reversed I don't think I could just sit idly by and see you with another woman."

A heavy sigh followed by silence. It was a harsh reality, but she was probably right, he thought. It was not an alien idea, after all every guy in the school would through knock their mother down for a chance to be with Moka, so he could empathize.

"Alright," he answered finally, "tomorrow we'll remove your seal and walk down so we can tell them, but follow my lead; I want to let them down easy."

The next morning rolled around quickly. The cold over the academy had subsided slightly as if to allow ease of access to the drove of students surging back onto the campus. Some, who lived near by, strolled in briskly, others biked, and those who lived too far from an access point were shipped by bus. All around students were greeting, arguing, and speaking of their time off and sweeping a sense of unrest to the place which had been silent just hours ago.

"I don't see the girls yet." Tsukune said, "You think they're on one of the last busses?"

"Moka shrugged. "My guess is that they waited up at the bus stop so they could walk in together."

Sure enough an excited cry fell on their ears, and, peering in the direction of its origin, they saw Yukari jump a good foot into the air shouting their names gleefully. She turned back and cried a ways into the woods, "Mizore, Kurumu, I found them." A trample of footsteps came forward and the remaining duo emerged from betwixt a set of trees.

Moka and Tsukune returned a wave to Mizore, and in the time necessary to do so Kurumu, having foregone the gesture and rushing toward Tsukune at full clip, closed a good three quarters of the gap between them. She leaped vigorously toward her male friend only to bounce off Moka's outstretched brick wall of a palm.

"Moka! What the hell?" the Succubus barked. "What was that for?"

"That, Kurumu, was for behaving in an overly friendly manner with my mate."

"Well that doesn't give you the right to…" There was a pause as Kurumu shifted from an aggravated tone to a full bellow. "Mate! Don't call my destined one that, and you accuse me of being overly friendly! Just look at how you've upset poor Tsukune!"

Upset just failed to describe his face; his head rested on his palm seemed to be the only thing holding up his traumatized expression as his lips quivered with the words "That - was - not subtle."

The other girls rejoined the rest of the group. "What's going on?" Mizore inquired, "Why does Tsukune look like he just ate rotten meat?"

Kurumu started up again, "Moka claimed to be Tsukune's mate and got him all worked up. See, now his nose is bleeding."

Exasperated, the vampire sighed. "I simple spoke the truth; this," without missing a beat she slapped him on the butt, "is my mate.

Tsukune fainted.

Yukari, noting the mounting tension between Moka and Kurumu, began to shake Tsukune frantically in an effort to review him. When this failed she struck him in the cheek. "Wake up, they're gonna kill each other!"

"I could freeze him," Mizore suggested in a deceptively serious tone. Tsukune hopped to his feet with impressive coordination, threw up his hands and proclaimed that he was alright. The timing fit perfectly; he was just in time to intercept a threatening advance by Kurumu.

The blue haired girl leaped half way over Tsukune's shoulder and began to shout frantically. "Don't treat my destined one like he's your property you little,"

Fortunately, Tsukune interjected. "Kurumu!" he spoke sternly, "Leave my destined one alone!"

Mizore's lollipop fell from her mouth. "Did Tsukune just declare Moka his choice?" she whispered lowly.

Yukari answered, "Did he just refer to her as his destined one in front of Kurumu, that's just…"

"Brutal." Mizore finished. The term seemed right on target, the wall of tears that seemed all at once fill Kurumu's eyes came like a surge of pressure to an already collapsing flood gate.

"Tsukune?" she muttered softly.

Glancing about so as to address everyone at once Tsukune reaffirmed himself. "What Moka has said is true, we are mates."

Nobody spoke. Moka gave a small, but deeply satisfied smile, Mizore hung her mouth agape, Yukari stared on in disbelief, and Tsukune maintained his assertive glare,

Kurumu's eyes glimmered for a moment longer before tightening into an intermingling of anguish and frustration which forced the tears down her face. In a cold tone that could not mask her feelings completely, she spoke. "That sudden profession of your love, I thought it was strange for you to say anything so confident. Your eyes, they're blood red. I thought it was just your forceful words exerting that feeling at first, but you - she…"

She shot daggers at Moka, tears still running profusely down her cheek. With a shriek she advanced on again only to struggle uselessly in Tsukune's arms when he intercepted her once more. She surrendered, went limp, and a moment later wrenched herself away.

She cast one final look at Moka before she ran away. The silver haired girl marked the expression with interest, a little remorse, and sadly enough, a tingle of pity, for it was the first time she had seen true hatred in her friend's eyes. She turned to survey the faces of the others, and was satisfied to see expressions of silent confusion, to which she responded, "We'll explain everything in time."

"What happened?" asked a new voice that turned out to belong to Ruby. "Kurumu nearly knocked me over on my way her, she was crying her eyes out."

"She took the news about Moka and I rather hard." Tsukune replied.

Ruby frowned, "I see, how sad. It's unfortunate, though, that this had to happen now because the headmaster sent me to retrieve her along with Yukari and Mizore. He wants to brief them on what happened while they were gone."

"What has happened since we were gone?" Mizore asked. "Apparently it's been pretty drastic." Her eye flashed for a second in Tsukune's direction.

"Um, why don't you two go see the headmaster while I see if I can collect Kurumu?" Ruby suggested. The girls obliged with hesitant glances and walked away.

"Oh," Ruby turned to Moka and Tsukune, "I almost forgot; the headmaster also has orders for you two to see Katahito in chemistry lab number four. He said explicitly that this should be the next thing on both your agendas, so hurry along."

A downcast looking Kurumu walked into the office; eyes to the floor, the only thing keeping her on course was Ruby's guidance. Wordlessly, she plopped into a seat between the other two girls.

"Glad you could all make it here so promptly." the headmaster began with a grin. "You must know by now that a lot has happened in your absence, as my sources tell me you've already gotten back in touch with Ms. Akashiya and Mr. Aono."

"You mean Mister and Miss Aono?" Kurumu asked sharply. The headmaster simply grinned as usual.

"Well, that's certainly the best place to start. You see, even before the break started Moka and Tsukune were romantically entangled, and they have been so ever since he first recovered from the initial attack by the dream demon working under the command of Fairy Tale."

"So they were trying to assassinate Tsukune." Yukari observed.

"So it would seem, and given the past obstacles he and the rest of you have presented their organization, it's unsurprising to say the least - I recommend you all stay on your toes. You all should be happy, however, to hear that, with the assistance of an acquaintance of mine, Moka and Tsukune have managed to kill the somnequam."

All the girls, even Kurumu, perked up a bit at this. The enthusiasm was short lived however, as the headmaster offered another gloomy forecast. "Of course, this doesn't mean that any of you are secure by any means, but, for now, at least one threat has been dealt with."

Kurumu spoke again. "The confrontation with the dream demon, is that why Tsukune became a vampire? Was he injured severely and given too much vampire's blood?"

"No, Mr. Aono was not injured. In fact they dealt with the demon quite easily once they confronted it outside their dreams. Part of the reason he was transformed may have been to offer him a means of fighting back, but if I had to guess I'd say he did it to so that he could commit to Ms. Akashiya, a relationship between mortals and immortals doesn't look so great on paper or in practice after all. But, whatever the case, I can assure you he chose this fate of his own free will, and you should take solace in that fact."

"I see." Kurumu answered. She felt that he had a point, it was better for Tsukune's sake that something so dramatic was not force upon him, but she could not help but selfishly wish that he had not made that decision on his own.

"Anyway," proceeded the robed figure from his desk, "I thought I should fill you in on the basics and caution you to keep your eyes open and your ears to the floor in case of another strike, and I'm sure you're friends can fill you in on any specific details you wish to learn of." And at that the group was dismissed to go about their business.

Tsukune opened the door to the chemistry lab and entered ahead of Moka, who had once again donned her Rosario and sealed her more bold self, only to find the room pitch dark. "Katahito?" they called into the room.

"In the back!" came an echoing voice.

The two moved toward the backroom, which was generally reserved for students with impeccable marks who were on the advanced science track. The lights were on and they proceeded straight in.

"Ugh, what's that smell?" Tsukune asked, reeling.

"What do you mea - oh!" Moka pulled her shirt over her nose. "That's so, so putrid!"

Katahito stepped away from the table at which he had previously been occupied with a scalpel and several other silvery instruments. "Sorry, I tried to keep it fresh, but you can only work on organs so long without the proper equipment before…" He trailed off with a shrug. "On the up side you get used to it after a few hours."

Moka groaned with disgust, and Tsukune turned a sickly shade as he peered at what he guessed was a rather beaten heart, or at least the remains of one, pinned to a dissection pad by a number of pernicious looking needles. "Hehehe," Katahito laughed knowingly, "Care to continue this discussion in the other room?"

Moka and Tsukune turned on their heels and marched promptly out the door in pursuit of fresh air.

Katahito searched the dark wall for a light switch, punctuating his eventual discover with an "Ah!" He walked back over to the pair, taking a seat on a counter opposite them. "So, I'm guessing you two want to get strait to the heart of the matter, yes?"

"Please don't mention hearts." Tsukune responded queasily.

"Right," he continued, "well the reason I sent for you was to keep you posted on some of the curious details about that demon you fought.

"Curious how?" Moka questioned.

Katahito looked to the upper right as he recalled all the details, and then spoke, fixing his gaze back at them. "Well, you remember that I sent the two of you ahead of me on the night in question? The reason for that was so that I could conduct a deeper field investigation. As a matter of fact, my autopsy project actually began up in those mountains; it wasn't until I discovered an unsettling fact that I decided the situation warranted bringing the body back here and conducting further research. But I'm getting sidetracked, you see While the two of you fought I observed some abnormal characteristics in your enemy. The first was the form it chose to take, it was roughly the same size as the two of you, and it remained in s fixed human-like form. Somnequam typical exhibit the potential to expand their body's up to four time the size possible of their visual mass, and moreover they almost never fight in such an orthodox condition because they have rather limited offensive ability in the waking world. Typically this sort of enemy will compensate by adapting to a more fluid form.

The second thing I noticed was the limited regenerative capacities it exhibited. Did you notice that when it re-emerged from beneath the ice it hadn't recovered from any of the damage to its body? Shadow based monster tend to heal quickly, but this one couldn't.

I postulated at a possible cause for these two problems. The fact that he could not expand his body told me that part of his body wasn't meant to expand, and because it is the flow of blood that governs the recovery power of most demons, it seemed only logical that the problem on both counts lie in the circulatory system."

"I think you're getting a little sidetracked again." said Tsukune.

Katahito glared. "Not really, all this information is necessary to understand what we're up against. Oh, and please don't interrupt me again Aono, I take my work very seriously.

Anyway, when I cut the thing open I discovered that my theory was correct, the somnequam did not have a normal circulatory system; it had a human heart and almost all of its veins and arteries were from a human as well."

"What the hell!" Moka and Tsukune exclaimed, both changing hue in the cheeks again. "How is something like that possible?"

"That's the part that troubles me the most." Katahito replied. "A creature like this, called an Amalgamation, can only be made by sacrificing a living humans and demons. By doing so the creator, a youkai known as an alchemist can create a new, more powerful creature in which either the soul of the human or the demon may be dominant."

"What a scary thought." Moka whispered.

"Exactly. What's worse is this means that Fairy Tale may be able to gain the assistance of members of any race, even those which refuse to cooperate with them, simply by creating that species through alchemy. For example, the somnequam are nearly extinct, it's no wonder they had to create one to target you. But, there is a bright side."

"Such as?"

"Well, just look at the result; for a dream demon I'd say that thing was pretty incompetent, and far too easy to take down. The work of a complete novice. If that's the best they can do then it seems Fairy Tale doesn't have access to a skilled alchemist at this point, so we aren't in as much danger as we could have been."

"So, why are you telling us this?" Tsukune asked.

"I think it's important that you know what you're up against now that that enemy is targeting you specifically. Plus there are going to be times when you two are on your own, and in light of this fact its crucial that you know everything you can to assess the situation. But, for now, that's all I've got, I'll get back to you with more in a few days. You two should head off and get back to you studies."

Later into the evening Moka and Tsukune returned to the dorms. As it got later the weather had gotten less and less merciful and it seemed wise to retire for the next days classes. By habit they both moved toward the girls dorm, but Moka stopped midway up the path.

"Tsukune," she started, "it's probably time for you to go back to the boys dorm, isn't it?"

He felt his heart sink. Living with Moka had benefits that he would sorely miss, but, then, the attention it would draw from their classmates was an unwelcome drawback. "I suppose you're right." he replied "After all it would only create a mess if the other student caught wind of our coed arrangements, but it's something I'l miss quite a lot."

Moka smiled, "I'll miss it too, but it's too much to work with now that school is back in session." She gave a thoughtful pause. "And I'd hate to upset Kurumu anymore than I already have.

Tsukune felt his heart take a second dive. That was a prospect that had passed from his mind, and thinking about it reminded him just how distraught their friend had been before storming off.

"I wish my other self would have eased into it a bit more." She continued.

"Let's not worry about it for now, maybe we can try to mend things tomorrow."

"Yeah." was her weak reply.

Tsukune paid one final visit to Moka's room so as to round up his belongings, and, with a kiss, they parted ways until the dawn. He followed the now familiar path around the corner to the stairs only to stop dead in his tracks.

"Kurumu-san." He said with a feeling of guilt as he looked at the downcast girl who still hesitated to look up at the world. Moving closure she lifted her chin and looked up at him squarely.

She paused with a blank expression for a moment, then spoke. "I liked you old eyes better." And then she walked away into the unforgiving night.


End file.
